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Effective  English 


AND 


Letter  Writing 

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A  PRACTICAL  DRILL  IN  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  GRAMMAR  AND  THEIR  APPU- 
CATION  TO  BUSINESS  FORMS,   CUSTOMS    AND    USAGES,  CONSISTING 
OF    A    SERIES    OF    CAREFULLY    GRADED    LESSONS    THAT 
TRACE  BY   EASY  STEPS   THE    NATURAL    DEVELOP- 
MENT OF    THE    SUBJECTS  TREATED. 


1913  EDITION 


ELLIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

BATTLE  CREEK.  MICH. 


COPYRIGHT.  1912 
By  ELUS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


^ri 

■^y" 


CONTENTS 


Lesson  Page 

Adjectives  and  Adverbs 16  30 

Adjective  Pronouns 30  67 

Agreements  of  Parts  of  Speech 36  71 

Application,  Letter  of 8  15 

Brevity  and  Terseness  in  Letter  Writing 19  37 

Business  Letter  Writing 7  n 

Capital  Letters 4  6 

Choice  and  Use  of  Words 40  80 

Circular  Letters   46     -  89 

Comma,  The 32  62 

Comparison  of  Adjectives  and  Adverbs 17   ,  31 

Complaint,  Letter  of 43  85 

Correspondence  Granting  Favors    23  ,46 

Courteously  Worded  Letters 42  83 

Dunning  Letters 39  78 

Enclosures,  Letters  Containing 13  24 

Errors  to  be  Avoided 41  82 

Infinitive,  The — Tense  Relations 38  77 

Interrogative    Pronouns 29  56 

Invoice,  The 34  69 

Miscellaneous  Exercises  For  Letter  Writing 47  94 

Modification  of  the  Verb 37  74 

Noun,  The 9  17 

Ordering  Goods,  Letters 14-24  25-47 

Paragraphing 20  38 

Parts  of  Speech 3  5 

Phrases 15  26 

Possessive  Forms  of  the  Noun 26  50 

Preposition,  The 21  40 

Pronoun,  The 11  2I 

Pronouns  Reviewed 27  63 

Properties  of  the  Noun 25  48 

Punctuation 5  7 

Recommendation,  Letters  of 45  87 

Remitting  Money,  Methods  of 33  66 

Relative  Pronouns 28  55 

Sentence,  The 6  10 

Sentences,  Compound  and  Complex 31  go 

Soliciting  Trade,  Letters 44  86 

Some  Important  Things  about  Letter  Writing 22  44 

Summary  of  Important  Facts  in  English 49  103 

Supplementary  Exercises 48  97 

Superfluous  Matter 18  35 

Words  Frequently  Misused 35  70 

Verb,  The 10  18 

Verb  Forms 12  22 


M185522 


p 


PREFACE 


^The  piirpose  of  this  book  is  to  give  a  thoroughly  practical  drill  in 
English  and  to  acquaint  the  student  with  its  application  to  business 
forms,  customs,  and  usages. 

Every  one  who  expects  to  write  good  English  should  master  the  ele- 
mentary forms  and  principles  of  grammar,  and  this  should  be  done  in  con- 
nection with  composition  and  critical  reading. 

Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  has  been  developed  by  the  elim- 
ination of  the  non-essential,  by  the  omission  of  much  that  is  technical,  and 
by  emphasizing  those  things  that  have  a  direct  bearing  on  the  work  of  a 
stenographer,  bookkeeper  or  office  worker. 

Much  of  the  material  is  not  new,  but  a  great  deal  of  it  is  the  outcome 
of  the  authors'  own  practice  in  teaching  the  subject. 

W.  W.  Kennedy, 
T.  B.  Bridges, 

Autliors. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


LESSON  1— The  Parts  of  Speech 

1.  The  words  of  the  EngHsh  Language  have  been  divided,  according  to 
meaning  and  use,  into  eight  general  groups,  called  Parts  of  Speech.  These 
are: 

1.  Nouns,  or  names  of  persons,  places,  objects, or  ideas;  as,  man,  desk, 
George,  truth,  opportunity.  Proper  nouns  are  names  of  persons,  special 
places  and  things,  and  should  always  be  capitalized;  as,  Jersey  City, 
Mary,  Lake  Erie,  Dr.  A.  C.  Case. 

2.  Pronouns,  or  words  used  instead  of  nouns;  and  to  avoid  their 
repetition;  as,  he,  her,  them,  who. 

3.  Verbs,  or  words  expressing  action  or  being,  and  used  to  affirm  some- 
thing of  some  person  or  thing;  as,  run,  come,  strike,  appear. 

4.  Adjectives,  or  words  that  are  used  to  describe,  limit,  or  modify 
the  meaning  of  a  noun  or  pronoun;  as,  good,  large,  beautiful.  Proper  ad- 
jectives are  adjectives  derived  from  proper  nouns  and  should  usually  be 
capitalized;  as,  English  goods,  German  exports,  Roman  letters,  but  not 
such  words  as  newfoundland  dog,  maltese  cat,  morocco  leather,  china  cups, 
as  constant  use  has  disassociated  them  from  their  particular  char- 
acter. 

5.  Adverbs,  or  words  used  to  modify  the  meaning  of  verbs,  adjectives 
or  other  adverbs.  They  usually  tell  how,  when,  or  where ;  as,  quickly,  im- 
mediately. 

6.  Prepositions,  or  words  used  to  show  relations  between  their 
objects  and  some  word  to  which  the  object  refers;  as,  in,  by,  to,  between, 
among, 

7.  Conjunctions,  or  words  used  to  join  words,  sentences,  or  parts  of 
sentences;  as,  (co-ordinate)  and,  or,  nor,  but,  (subordinate)  if,  because, 
where,  when. 

8.  Interjections,  or  words  thrown  in  to  express  pain,  surprise,  or 
other  emotions;  as,  O,  oh,  hurrah. 


6  Effective  English  aitd  Letter  Writing 

2.  Name  the  parts  of  speech  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  London  is  the  largest  city  in  the  world,  and  New  York  is  the  largest  city  in 
the  United  States. 

2.  Cato,  the  Roman  orator,  was  always  repeating,  "Carthage  must  be  destroyed." 

3.  Duty  and  pleasure  seldom  travel  on  parallel  roads. 

4.  Street  comers  are  poor  colleges,  and  they  produce  more  loafers  than  they  do 
business  men. 

5.  "Gray  hairs  and  wrinkles,  too,  may  come,  but  a  happy  heart  is  always  young." 

6.  Prefer  loss  to  unjust  gain,  but  hold  manfully  to  the  right, 

7.  Truth,  goodness,  and  charity  of  mind  are  to  be  obtained  only  by  strenuous 
self-denial. 

8.  Religion  is  the  best  armor  in  the  world,  but  the  worst  cloak. 

9.  It  is  not  how  much  you  do,  but  how  well  you  do  your  work,  that  marks  your 
character. 

10.  Cleveland  is  an  important  lake  port  of  Ohio  on  Lake  Erie. 

Exercise  1 
3.  Arrange  the  words  in  the  following  sentences  in  columns;  all  the 
nouns  in  one  column,  all  the  verbs  in  another,  and  so  on  according  to 
the  use  of  the  word  in  the  sentence: 

1.  Mary  and  James  lost  their  books  this  morning. 

2.  The  man,  4s  well  asVthe  boy,  was  driven  from  the  hall. 

3.  The  sacredness  of  the  occasion  had  no  influence  upon  his  conduct. 

4.  Philadelphia  is  the  largest  city  in  Pennsylvania. 
b.  Faith,  hope,  and  charity  are  the  three  virtues. 

6.  "Our  whitest  pearl  we  never  find; 

Our  ripest  fruit  we  never  reach; 
The  flowering  moments  of  the  mind 
Drop  half  their  petals  in  our  speech." 

7.  You  should  set  a  high  price  upon  your  leisure  moments,  for  they  are  sands 
of  precious  gold. 

i'8.  On  Thursday,  June  26,  1909,  the  Baltic  set  sail  for  Liverpool,  England. 
'  9.  Hear,  O  heavens,  and  give  ear,  O  earth. 
10.  Cherish  patriotism,  it  is  each  citizen's  birthright. 

LESSON  2— Capital  Letters 

4.  Begin  with  a  capital  letter: 

1 .  Every  new  sentence. 

2.  The  first  word  in  every  line  of  poetry;  as, 

"Alas,  for  those  who  never  sing, 
But  die  with  all  their  music  in  them." 

3.  The  first  word  in  every  direct  quotation,  forming  a  sentence:  as. 
Did  the  lady  ask,  "Where  did  you  get  the  lilies.  Mary?" 

4.  All   proper  nouns.     This   includes   names   of   persons,    countries, 
cities,  towns,  streets,  geographical  divisions,  days  of  the  week,  and  names  of 


Effective  English  a>id  Letter  Writing  7 

the  months;  as,  John  Wilson,  America,  Oakland,  Hayward,  Maple  Avenue, 
Lake  Superior,  Wednesday,  July,  Christmas. 

5.  All  names  of  the  Deity  and  all  words  and  pronouns  referring  to  the 
Deity;  as,  The  Providence  of  some  writers  is  but  God's  way  of  executing 
His  laws. 

6.  The  pronoun  /  and  the  interjection  O,  but  not  oh,  unless  it  is  the 
first  word  in  a  sentence. 

7.  Most  abbreviations,  and  titles  of  honor  and  distinction;  as,  Atty., 
COD,  Hon.,  LL.  D.,  Rev. 

8.  The  first  word  in  phrases  or  clauses  separately  numbered  or  para- 
graphed; as,  The  complete  study  of  a  word  involves  four  things:  i.  How 
to  pronounce  it.  2.  How  to  spell  it.  3.  What  it  means.  4.  How  to  use 
it.  If  the  numbers,  however,  are  enclosed  in  parentheses,  capitals  are  not 
used. 

9.  Nouns  vividly  personified;  as,  Thereupon  Fancy  began  to  bestir 
herself. 

Observe  the  use  of  capitals  in  the  following:  Southern  California. 
The  Daily  News.  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  The  East 
depends  upon  the  West.  He  traveled  east  as  far  as  Denver.  If  you  have 
a  reasonable  doubt  about  the  use  of  a  capital,  it  is  better  not  to  use  it. 

In  this  and  the  following  lesson  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  treat 
exhaustively  the  subjects  of  Capitalization  and  Punctuation,  but  to  pre- 
sent only  their  more  important  functions. 

ll^rO^Zi^: 


LESSON  3— Punctuation 

6.  Use  a  Period  (.) : 

1.  At  the  end  of  every  declarative  or  imperative  sentence,  not  used 
in  an  exclamatory  way;  as.  Politeness  costs  nothing  and  wins  everything. 
Be  diligent  in  your  business. 

2.  After  abbreviations  and  initials;  as,  Acct.,  Dec,  J.  N.  Day,  M.  D., 
Rev.,  Ph.  D. 

3.  After  yes  and  no  when  used  alone;  as,  Did  you  see  him?     No. 
6.  Use  a  Comma  (,) : 

Note. — Only  a  few  of  the  most  common  uses  of  the  .comma  are  presented  here. 
For  a  fuller  discussion  see  page  62. 

1.  To  separate  the  parts  of  the  "heading  of  a  letter;"  as,  Oakland, 
Cal,,  February  15,  191 2. 

2.  After  the  parts  of  a  complimentary  address  of  a  letter;  as, 

Hon.  Andrew  J.  Palm, 
25  Park  St., 

Meadville,   Pa. 


8  Effective   English  and  Letter  Writing 

3.  To  set  off  words  of  direct  address,  and  explanatory  phrases  and 
clauses;  as,  "Come,  Ralph,"  said  Mathew,  the  old  schoolmaster,  "and 
recite  your  lesson." 

\.  To  follow  the  complimentary  closing  of  a  letter;  as,  Very  sincerely 
yours,. 

5.  Introductory  and  intermediate  expression;  as,  However,  the  law, 
without  fear  or  favor,  must  be  made  to  apply  to  all  law  breakers. 

6.  To  separate  a  series  of  words,  phrases,  or  clauses  when  the  con- 
nectives, or  any  of  them,  are  omitted ;  as,  Rubies,  amethysts,  diamonds,  and 
all  other  precious  gems,  must  be  carefully  guarded.  Men  of  silence,  of 
force,  of  action,  and  of  character,  are  always  in  demand. 

7.  Use  an  Interrogation  Point  (?): 

1.  At  the  close  of  a  direct  question  ;  as.  Do  good  letter  writers  consider 
punctuation  important? 

2.  After  an  interrogative  phrase  or  clause  stated  in  the  body  of  a 
declarative  sentence;  as.  The  question.  Who  will  feed  the  orphans?  is  an 
important  one. 

I      8.  Use  an  Exclamation  Point  ( !) : 

1.  After  words  expressing  strong  emotion,  such  as  fear,  horror,  etc. 

2.  After  a  sentence,  though  interrogative  in  form,  expressing  strong 
emotion;  as.  Who  dares  set  a  limit  to  God's  mercy!  "How  beautiful!  oh, 
how  beautiful  the  valley  of  my  home!"  she  exclaimed,  ecstatically. 

9.  Use  a  Semicolon  ( ;) : 

1.  Before  such  words  as  namely,  as,  thus,  etc.,  introducing  an  illus- 
tration or  an  enumeration.     See  text  for  examples. 

2.  After  each  item  in  a  series  of  statements;  as.  Paid  June  10,  $350; 
Sept.  4,  $25;  May  5,  $150. 

3 .  To  separate  the  parts  of  a  compound  sentence  when  one  or  more 
members  contain  commas ;  as.  The  wise  man  wins  renown ;  the  f ooi,  notoriety. 

10.  Use  a  Colon  (:): 

1.  Between  figures  indicating  time;  as,  9:45. 

2.  After  the  salutation  in  a  letter;  as.  Dear  Sir:* Gentlemen: 

3.  After  the  word  following  when  used  before  an  enumeration;  as. 
Copy  the  following: 

4.  After  the  introduction  of  a  formal  quotation;  as.  Grant  at  once 
replied:     "No  terms  except  an  unconditional  and  immediate  surrender." 

1 1.  Use  the  Dash  (— ) : 

1.  When  there  is  a  sudden  transition  in  thought;  as.  He  is  a  model 
pupil — when  the  teacher  is  watching  him. 

2.  To  denote  the  omission  of  letters;  as,  G — ^t  was  a  commander. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  g 

3.  To  denote  a  summing  up  of  particulars;  as,  father,  mother,  brother, 
sister — all  are  dead. 

12.  Use  the  Apostrophe  (') : 

1.  To  form  the  possessive  case;  as,  The  Germans'  national  policy. 
Men's  apparel.     Ladies'  hats. 

2.  To  denote  the  omission  of  one  or  more  letters  or  figures;  as,  O'er 
the  woodland  gay.     The  year  of  '76. 

3.  To  form  the  pltiral  of  letters,  signs,  and  figures;  as.  Dot  your  i's. 
Make  your  t's  plainer. 

13.  Use  a  Parenthesis  (  ): 

I.  To  enclose  an  incidental  remark,  independent  of  the  grammatical 
construction  of  the  sentence;  as,  Water  vapor  (steam)  is  only  about  half 
the  weight  of  dry  air. 

14.  Use  a  Hyphen  (-) 

1.  Between  the  parts  of  a  compotmd  word;  as,  boot-box.  When  the 
first  word  indicates  the  material  of  which  the  second  is  made,  do  not 
use  the  hyphen;  as,  paperbucket. 

2.  After  part  of  a  word  left  at  the  end  of  a  line.  Never  separate  a 
word  so  that  a  syllable  consisting  of  one  letter  shall  stand  alone. 

3.  A  participial  adjective  coming  before  the  noun  should  usually  be 
separated  from  the  noun  by  a  hyphen;  as,  printing-press,  sewing-machine. 

4.  Several  words  united  to  make  up  a  single  expression  should  be 
hyphenized;  as,  a  ten-dollar-a- week-man. 

A  careful  observation  of  this  text  will  enable  you  to  master  the  use 
of  the  hyphen.  Note  the  following:  Twenty-fold,  fourfold,  snow-shoe, 
bookkeeper,  one-half,  half-dollar,  twenty-five,  sweet-faced  girl.  When  in 
doubt  regarding  the  use  of  the  hyphen  consult  the  dictionary. 

15.  The  interrogation  mark,  the  exclamation  mark,  and  the  dash  may 
be  used  to  indicate  doubt,  sarcasm,  ridicule,  etc. ;  as,  He  made  a  "truthful?" 
statement  concerning  the  matter.  That  man  honest!  Oh,  yes,  he's 
generous — to  himself. 

Exercise  3 

16.  Ptmctuate  and  capitalize  the  following: 

1.  37  Crystal  st  st  keyen  Cornwall  oct  25  1911. 

2.  the  yahoos  in  swifts  gvillivers  travels  are  brutes  with  the  shapes  of  men 

3.  dombey  florence  in  dombey  and  son  marries  waiter  gay 

4.  they  will  without  doubt  disregard  your  advice. 

6.  young  men  who  are  educated  who  are  energetic  and  who  are  honest  can 
find  employment. 

6.  the  master  saM  william  present  your  excuse. 


lo  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

*  7.  hoo  James  a  garfield  325  vineland  ave    canton    ohio  was  one  of    americas 
greatest  statesmen 

8.  ■william  zealous  the  faithful  student  was  recommended  for  the  position 

9.  we  have  remitted  you  money  for  which  we  have  had  no  receipts  as  follows 
may  15,  1909  $275  sept  12  1909  $350  dec  23  1909  $400 

10.  as  caesar  loved  me  i  weep  for  him  as  he  was  fortunate  i  rej  oiced  at  it  as  he 
was  valiant  i  honor  him  but  as  he  was  ambitious  i  slew  him  there  are  tears  for  his 
love  joy  for  his  fortune  honor  for  his  valor  and  death  for  his  ambition 

11.  fred  went  fishing  John  went  hunting  and  george  i  dont  know  where  he  went 

12.  dionysius  the  elder  tyrant  of  Syracuse  invited  his  flatter  damocles  to  a  splendid 

LESSON  4— The  Sentence 

17.  Any  arrangement  of  words  that  will  clearly  express  a  thought 
is  a  Sentence,  A  sentence  must  contain  at  least  two  elements;  the  person 
or  thing  about  which  something  is  told,  or  the  subject ;  and  the  word  or 
words  that  tell  something  of  the  subject,  or  the  predicate ;  as,  The  boy  is 
idle.  Boy  is  the  subject,  and  is  idle,  the  predicate.  No  matter  how 
many  other  words,  or  groups  of  words,  relating  to  the  subject  and 
the  predicate  may  be  included,  if  either  of  these  two  essential  elements 
is  absent  it  is  not  a  sentence. 

1 .  A  sentence  used  to  make  a  statement  is  called  a  Declarative  sen- 
tence; as.  The  path  of  industry  is  the  path  to  success. 

2.  A  sentence  used  to  express  a  command  or  a  request  is  an  Impera- 
tive sentence;  as,  Go  where  duty  calls  thee.     Bring  the  book,  please. 

3 .  A  sentence  used  to  ask  a  question  is  an  Interrogative  sentence ;  as. 
Is  genuine  pleasure  ever  the  outgrowth  of  idleness? 

4.  A  sentence  used  to  express  strong  emotion  is  an  Exclamatory  sen- 
tence; as,  See,  the  house  is  on  fire! 

5.  A  sentence  that  makes  but  one  statement  is  a  Simple  sentence;  as, 
The  dog  runs  swiftly.  A  Simple  sentence  may  contain  an  indefinite 
number  of  words  or  phrases  grouped  about  the  subject  and  the  predicate 
as  modifiers  of  these  elements;  still,  if  only  one  statement  is  made  by 
the  expression  it  is  a  simple  sentence. 

18.  To  determine  the  subject  of  a  sentence,  put  who  or  what  before 
the  verb  to  form  a  question;  as  in  the  sentence,  The  boy  studies  teleg- 
raphy. Who  studies?  Boy.  Therefore  hoy  is  the  subject.  Similarly  a 
question  may  be  formed  to  ascertain  the  predicate :     What  does  the  boy 

do?     Studies. 

Exercise  3 

Separate  the  following  sentences  into  subject  and  predicate : 

1.  The  industrious  boy  works  hard. 

2.  The  ambitious  student  is  anxious  to  succeed. 

3.  The  beautiful  flower  exhaled  an  intoxicating  fragrance. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  1 1 

4.   Notes  and  checks  are  negotiable  paper. 
6.  English  is  an  important  study. 

6.  Courtesy  pays  a  large  dividend. 

7.  Is  it  good  business  policy  to  employ  incompetent  help? 

8.  Down  the  chimney  Santa  Claus  came. 

9.  Up  from  the  Valley  of  Death,  rode  the  six  hundred. 
10.  By  the  wayside  on  a  mossy  stone  sat  a  hoary  pilgrim. 

LESSON  6— Business  Letter  Writing 

1 9.  In  learning  to  write  easily  and  accurately  there  is  no  substitute 
for  faithful  and  painstaking  practice.  One  may  have  at  his  tongue's  end 
all  the  rules  of  grammar  and  rhetoric,  and  still  be  unable  to  write 
either  accurately  or  intelligently.  As  a  general  rule,  people  like  to  do 
those  things  that  they  do  well;  while  the  disagreeable  things  are  those 
they  do  indifferently.  This  is  one  reason  why  most  people  find  letter 
writing,  or  other  composition,  such  an  unwelcome  task.  Another  reason 
is,  that  they  attempt  to  write  without  preparation  or  plan.  You  should 
always  study  your  subject  before  attempting  to  write.  It  is  hard  to  write 
from  an  empty  mind.  To  know  well  what  one  wants  to  write  is  more 
than  half  the  battle. 

A  letter  that  is  worth  writing  at  all  is  worth  writing  carefully.  A 
slovenly  letter  is  indicative  of  a  slovenly  and  untrained  mind.  A  poorly 
constructed  letter  creates,  not  on^y  an  unfavorable  impression,  but  dis- 
respect for  the  writer,  and  often  defeats  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
written.  Do  not  hesitate  to  write  and  rewrite  a  sentence  until  it  is  as 
nearly  perfect  as  you  can  make  it.  This  practice  will  be  of  great  help  to 
you  in  acquiring  skill  in  composition.  Be  brief,  but  do  not  sacrifice  clear- 
ness for  brevity. 

20.  On  the  following  page  is  a  model  form  of  a  typewritten  letter: 
(To  be  copied  by  the  student.) 


12  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

528-16th  Street, 

Oakland,  Cal.,  April  13,  1912. 

Mr.  B.  A.  Student, 

1772-21st  Ave.,  Oakland,  Cal. 

Dear  Sir: 

Business  letters  should  contain  the  substance 
of  what  one  would  say  were  he  face  to  face  with  the 
person  written  to.  They  should  he  clear,  concise,  and 
explicit.  Great  care  should  he  taken  as  to  arrange- 
ment,, punctuation,  capitalization,  spelling,  and 
wording. 

The  date  and  writer's  address  in  full  should 
he  written  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  page  on  the 
first  line  commencing  in  the  middle  of  the  paper,  as 
in  this  letter.   A  comma  should  follow  each  item,  and 
a  period  should  follow  the  year. 

Leaving  a  suitable  margin  on  the  left-hand 
side  of  the  page,  place  the  name  of  the  person  or 
persons  written  to  on  the  line  below  the  heading.  On 
the  next  line  below,  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
from  the  margin,  place  the  address.   Follow  each  item 
by  a  comma  and  place  a  period  at  the  end. 

The  formal  address  or  salutation  should  be 
either,  "Dear  Sir:",  "Dear  Madam: " ,  or  "Gentlemen:". 
It  should  be  on  the  next  line  below  the  address, 
starting  at  the  margin  end  should  be  followed  by  a 
colon.  Begin  the  body  of  the  letter  on  the  line 
below  the  salutation,  and  start  directly  underneath 
the  colon. 

Make  a  new  paragraph  for  every  distinct  thing 
you  wish  to  impress  upon  the  reader.  Capitalize  only 
the  first  v/ord  of  the  complimentary  closing.   The 
words  of  closing  should  be  followed  by  a  comma,  and 
always  written  on  a  line  by  themselves,  starting  near 
the  center  of  the  page. 

I  hope  you  will  find  this  explanation  suffi- 
ciently clear  and  comprehensive..^ 

Yours  sincerely,  .^ 

G.  W.  Collins. 


Effeaive  English  and  Letter  Writing  13 

Exercise  4 

21.  The  following  are  model  forms  for  opening  and  closing  letters: 

Oakland,  Cal.,  Jan.  4,  191 2. 

The  International  Brick  Co., 

Boston,  Mass. 

Gentlemen : 

************ 

Yours  truly, 
^„.-y__  John    A.    Carless. 

1246  Washington  St., 

San  Francisco,  Cal., 

February  24,  191 2. 

Clara  H.  Plummer, 

Dayton,  Ohio. 

Dear  Madam: 

************ 

Very  truly  yours, 

The    International    Brick    Co. 

Per  G.  B. 

(3) 

Room  214,  Pacific  Bldg., 

San  Jose,   Cal..   March    i,    191 2. 

Miss  Agnes  Hanson, 

46  Fremont  St.,  Oakland,  Cal. 

Dear  Miss  Hanson: 

************* 

Respectfully    yours, 

L.  M.  Jones. 

(4) 

Rooms  1 44-1 46-148  Mohl  Bldg., 
978  Cunningham  St.,  N., 

Chicago,    111.,   Feb.    6,    191 2. 
Mr.  W.  C.  Thompson,  Gen.  Mgr., 

The  Protective  Insurance  Company, 
Chicago,  111. 

Dear  Sir:     - 

************ 

Yours  sincerely, 

(Mrs.)    Jennie    E.    Johnson. 


1 4  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

(5) 


Reno,  Nev.,  Sept.  4,  191 2.  ^r 


Mr   W.  L.  Pearson,  Cashier, 
First  National  Bank, 
Stockton,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Yours  respectfully, 

F.  L.  Lancaster. 

(6) 

Stockton,  Cal.,  Nov.  i,  1912. 
Mr.  L.  J.  Smith,  Secretary, 
Phoenix  Iron  Works, 
Portland,   Oregon. 
Dear  Sir: 

************ 
Respectfully    yours, 

T.  B.  Bridges. 

(7) 

Riverside,  Cal.,  Aug.   6,   191 2. 
C.  P.  Weber  &  Co., 
365  Market  St., 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Gentlemen:  Attention  Mr.  Fricke. 

************ 

Yours  very  truly, 

W.  L.  Godfrey,  (M.  D.) 
It  is  bad  form  for  a  woman  to  sign  her  name  without  putting  (Mrs.) 
or  (Miss),  as  the  case  may  be,  before  it  in  parenthesis. 

In  signing  a  firm's  name  always  put  your  name  or  your  initials  follow- 
ing, as  in  No.  2  above. 

Always  use  Mr.,  Messrs.,  Mrs.,  or  Miss  before  any  personal  name 
addressed. 

Never  use  "Dear  Sirs."  "Gentlemen"  is  correct. 


(' 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  15 

Mode]  form  for  ordinary  superacriptioo. 


Return  after  ....  days  to 


Mr.  F.  0.  Gardiner, 

San  Franoisoo, 
425  McAllister  St.        California 


22.  In  folding  a  letter,  fold  from  bottom  to  top,  so  the  front  part  will 
fall  about  one-half  inch  shorter  than  the  back  part.  Then  fold  the  r  ght- 
hand  side  over  one-third,  and  the  left-hand  over  one-third.  The  letter 
will  then  xmfold  properly  when  taken  from  envelope. 

Note. — The  teacher  will  here  demonstrate  to  the  class  how  to  fold  the  paper, 
place  it  in  the  envelope,  etc. 

Make  a  copy  of  the  model  letter  in  this  lesson,  paying  close  attention 
to  arrangement,  folding  of  paper,  etc.  Remember  that  correct  punctua- 
tion and  arrangement  are  evidences  of  a  careful  correspondent. 

LESSON  6  —  Letter  of  Application 

23.  The  qualifications  of  an  applicant  for  a  position  are  likely  to  be 
judged  by  the  character  of  his  letter  of  application.  Such  a  letter,  there- 
fore, should  be  perfect  in  form,  neat  in  penmanship  or  typewriting,  and 
straightforward  in  style.  If  the  letter  is  written  in  answer  to  an  advertise- 
ment, it  shotild  contain  all  information  called  for  and  any  other  facts  that 
may  be  relevant  to  the  desired  position.  Probably  the  most  important 
thing,  however,  is  to  make  sure  you  possess  the  qualifications  demanded; 
then  you  should  have  little  trouble  in  mentioning  them  with  that  directness 
and  modest  frankness  which  will  win  recognition. 

Following  is  an  outline  for  a  letter  of  application  which,  if  followed, 
will  generally  produce  good  results: 


i6  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

(a)  Application.  Examples:  i.  "In  answer  to  your  advertisement 
in  to-day's  Call,  please  consider  me  an  applicant  for  the  position."  2. 
"In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  hereby  submit  this  as  my  formal 
application  for  a  position  in  your  office."  3.  "I  desire  to  see  you  in  re- 
gard to  the  position  as  bookkeeper  in  your  office,  as  I  think  I  have  the 
qualifications  you  desire." 

Follow  with  (b)  Age.  (c)  Education,  (d)  Experience,  (e)  References. 
(f)  Salary.  Nothing  should  be  said  of  salary,  however,  unless  such  state- 
ment is  asked  for.     A  stamp  should  not  be  enclosed  for  reply. 

If  testimonials  are  requested,  copies  should  be  made  and  enclosed. 
The  originals  should  not  be  sent.     Copies  should  be  marked  "copy,"  and 
the  word  (Signedy  in  parentheses  should  be  placed  before  the  signature. 
The  following  is  a  good  form  for  a  letter  of  application : 

Oakland,  Cal.,  Sept.   29,   1912. 
Mr.  James  Wilson, 
San  Jose,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

In  answer  to  your  advertisement  for  an  assistant  bookkeeper, 
as  published  in  the  Oakland  Enquirer  of  Sept.  28,  please  consider 
me  an  applicant  for  the  position. 

I  am  twenty  years  old,  a  graduate  of  high  school,  and  of 
Heald's  Business  College  of  this  city. 

I  have  had  about  nine  months'  experience  in  the  office  of 
Clark  &  Williams,  wholesale  grocers  of  San  Francisco,  my  present 
employers.  In  regard  to  my  character  and  ability,  you  may  refer 
to  the  manager  of  the  above  firm,  Mr.  C.  P.  Williams,  and  to  Dr. 
L.  J.  Crane  of  246  Linden  St.,  Oakland,  Cal. 

My  relations  with  my  employers  are  very  pleasant,  but  I  wish 
to  secure  a  position  where  I  shall  have  a  better  chance  for  ad- 
vancement, as  a  bookkeeper. 

I  trust  my  application  will  have  your  favorable  consideration. 
.--  Yours  sincerely. 

Observe  carefully  the  following  in  the  above  letter: 

1.  That  the  word  "advertisement"  in  the  first  line  is  not  abbre- 
viated. 

2.  That  "bookkeeper"  is  spelled  without  a  hyphen  and  that  it  is  not 
capitalized. 

3.  That  "th"  is  not  after  "Sept.  29,"  nor  "Sept.  28." 

4 .  That  the  possessive  sign  is  used  in  the  words ' '  Heald'  s' '  and '  'months ' . ' ' 

5.  That  the  words  "high  school"  are    not  capitalized. 

6.  That  an  applicant  should  not  give  the  names  of  too  many  former 
employers.     Why  ? 

7.  That  closing  remarks,  like  the  one  at  the  end  of  the  above  letter, 
should  always  be  paragraphed.  / 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  17 

24.  Write  a  letter  of  application  in  answer  to  the  following  advertise- 
ment: Pay  close  attention  to  arrangement,  punctuation,  folding  of  paper, 
etc.     Place  in  properly  directed  envelope  and  hand  to  teacher. 

STENOGRAPHER  WANTED— Bright  young  man  or  woman  who  can 
take  ordinary  dictation;  accuracy  more  desired  than  rapidity;  must  be 
good  speller  and  not  addicted  to  the  habit  of  erasing.  Give  qualifications 
fully  with  reference  as  to  character,  ability,  etc.  Address  Watson  & 
Hooker,  736  Stevens  St.,  San  Francisco. 

25.  The  student  should  dispense  entirely  with  the  following  and 
other  similar  meaningless  words  and  expressions: 

1.  We  hereby  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  esteemed  favor. 

2.  Your  favor  of  the  3d  inst.  came  duly  to  hand. 

3.  Replying  to  the  same  would  say. 

4.  We  beg  to  advise.  We  beg  to  suggest. 

5.  We  beg  permission  to  call  attention  to  the  fact. 

6.  Enclosed  please  find. 

7.  Trusting  we  may  be  favored  with  your  valued  order. 

8.  Contents  have  been  carefully  noted. 

9.  Hoping  this  will  meet  with,  etc. 

10.  Your  esteemed  favor  of  the  15th  ult.  received  and  contents  duly 
noted. 

Do  not  approach  the  subject  by  means  of  a  silly  apology  or  request 
for  permission  to  write  to  the  person.  The  person  who  gets  up  a 
letter  that  means  something  approaches  each  subject  without  beating 
about  the  bush. 

LESSON  7-The  Noun 

26.  A  Noun  is  the  name  of  anything.  Nouns  maybe  classified  as 
Common,  Proper,  Collective,  Abstract,  and  Concrete. 

1.  A  Common  Noun  is  a  name  common  to  whole  classes  of  objects; 
as,  horses,  trees,  desks. 

2.  A  Proper  Noun  is  a  particular  name  given  to  one  of  a  class;  as, 
Tom  broke  out  of  the  pasture. 

3.  A  Collective  Noun  is  the  name  of  a  number  of  living  objects  of  the 
same  kind  taken  together;  as  army,  jury,  flock. 

4.  An  Abstract  Noun  is  the  name  of  anything  that  does  not  occupy 
space;  as,  truth,  virtue. 

5.  A  Concrete  Notm  is  the  name  of  anything  that  does  occupy  space; 

as,  cow,  desk,  man. 

Exercise  5 

27  Place  each  of  the  following  nouns  under  as  many  of  the  five  classes 
as  possible: 

Example:  Army;  common,  collective,  concrete. 


i8  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Desk,  laughter,  goodness,  tree,  Cleveland,  child,  health,  clouds,  sky, 
Idora  Park,  cruelty,  February,  Charter  Oak,  truth,  herd,  sun,  cow,  mirth, 
Chicago,  duty,  Denver,  wood,  winds,  earth,  idleness,  smoke,  manhood, 
beauty,  color,  Henry,  sea,  Wednesday,  mob,  wisdom,  sleep. 

LESSON  8-The  Yerb 

28.  A  Verb  is  a  word  vised  to  assert  something  of  some  other  word, 
or  group  of  words,  called  its  subject.  Verbs  are  of  two  kinds,  Transitive  and 
Intransitive. 

1.  A  Transitive  Verb  requires  some  word,  or  group  of  words,  to  in- 
dicate the  receiver  of  the  action,  or  the  thing  possessed.  When  the  re- 
ceiver of  the  action  is  part  of  the  predicate,  it  is  called  the  object;  as, 
The  man  struck  the  boy.  May  has  a  new  hat.  Boy  is  the  receiver  of  the 
action  expressed  by  the  verb  struck.     Hat  is  the  thing  possessed. 

2.  An  Intransitive  Verb  does  not  require  a  word  or  group  of  words 
to  indicate  the  receiver  of  the  action.  An  intransitive  verb,  or  verb  of 
complete  predication,  needs  no  word  to  complete  its  meaning;  as,  The 
birds  sing.     The  horse  runs. 

3.  A  Copulative  Verb  is  an  intransitive  verb  that  is  followed  by  a 
word  that  describes  or  identifies  the  subject;  as,  She  is  good.  The  horse 
is  a  useful  animal.  Good  is  a  predicate  adjective,  and  animal,  a  predicate 
noun,  and  both  are  called  Attribute  Complements.  Copulative  verbs 
take  an  attribute  complement;  they  never  take  an  object.  The  most  com- 
mon coptdative  verbs  are  be,  been,  being,  is,  am,  are,  was,  and  were.  Some 
other  coptdative  verbs  are  become,  smell,  seem,  appear,  look,  and  taste. 

4.  Verbs  may  be  transitive  or  intransitive  according  to  their  use 
in  the  sentence;  as.  The  snow  melts  rapidly.  The  sun  melts  the  snow 
on  tjie  hillside. 

5.  The  noun  or  pronoun  following  any  form  of  the  verb  be  takes  the 
same  case  as  the  noun  or  pronoun  before  be,  to  which  it  refers;  as,  It  is  lie. 
We  knew  it  to  be  him.  {It,  objective  case  before  to  be;  him,  objective 
after  to  be).  I  should  like  to  be  he.  He  in  this  sentence  refers  to  /,  and 
is  in  the  nominative  case.  - 

6.  If  a  noun  completes  the  meaning  of  a  verb  as  the  receiver  of  the 
action  expressed  by  the  verb  it  is  an  object,  and  the  verb  is  transitive;  as, 
Heck  kicked  the  cat.  Cat  is  the  receiver  of  the  action,  and  kicked  is  a  tran- 
sitive verb. 

7.  If  a  noun  completes  the  meaning  of  the  verb  and  identifies  or 
modifies  the  subject,  the  noun  is  an  attribute  and  the  verb  is  copulative; 
as,  John  is  an  intelligent  student.     Student  identifies  John,  and  is  an  at- 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  1 9 

tribute,  and  ts  is  a  copulative  verb.  If  no  word  is  needed  to  complete  the 
meaning,  the  verb  is  intransitive;  as,  It  rains. 

8.  To  determine  whether  the  noun  following  the  verb  is  an  object  or 
an  attribute  read  the  subject  and  predicate  and  put  who  or  what  after;  the 
answer  to  the  question  thus  formed  will  be  an  attribute  if  it  names  the 
same  person  or  thing  as  the  subject,  otherwise,  it  will  be  an  object;  as  John 
is  a  good  boy.  John  is  what  ?  Boy.  Now  boy  meaning  the  same  as  John 
is  an  attribute.  The  hunter  killed  the  bear.  The  hunter  killed  what? 
Bear.     Bear  not  meaning  the  same  as  hunter  is  an  object. 

29.  A  simple  method  of  diagraming  sentences  is  effective  in  showing 
the  position  and  relation  of  subject,  predicate,  object,  and  attribute. 
When  the  pupil  can  see  the  result  of  his  mental  efforts,  his  mind  is  stimu- 
lated to  greater  activity.  Enough  diagram  forms  have  been  introduced 
to  show  the  pupil  how  to  analyze  a  sentence  by  this  method. 

1.  She  taught  him. 

She     I     taught     |       him  5;^^^  subject;  taught,  predicate;  him,  object. 

2.  It  is  he. 

It     i     is    \     he  Hg^  attribute  complement. 


3.  I  thought  it  to  be  him. 

it  I   to  be    \      him. 

I     f     thought 


It  to  he  him,  phrase  object. 


4.  She  knew  it  was  he. 

it     I   was  \     he 

She    I    knew 


It  was  he,  ckiuse  of  object. 


6.  He  sold  me  the  book. 
He   I     sold      I    book. 

the 


Me,  indirect  object 


20 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 
6.  The  angry  bear  fiercely  attacked  the  hunter, 
bear       I      attacked    I      hunter 


The 


angry 


fiercely 


the 


The  and  angry,   adjectives ; 
fiercely,  and  verb. 


7.  The  house  on  the  bank  was  destroyed  by  the  river, 
house    I        was   destroyed 


[The_ 


on  I    bank 


On  the  hank,  adjective   prepo- 
by  I     river  sitional  phrase;  hy  the  river,  ad- 

verbial prepositional  phrase. 


the 


the 


8.  This  is  the  man  whom  you  seek. 
This   1   isV        man 


the 


Whom  you  seek,  adjective  clause;  whom, 
relative  pronoun. 


you 


I   seek    I  whom  ^^ 


9    The  birds  sing  sweetly  when  morning  dawns, 
birds    I  sing 


The 


sweetly   ^  ^■^<5 


mommg 


^ 


When    morning    dawns,   adverbial 
clause;  when,  conjunctive  adverb. 


dawns 


10.  "Come  to  me,  Bruce, "said  his  mother. 


Bruce 

(You)     1 

Come 

mother       |     said 

1 

to  1     me 

his 

( You)  come  to 
me,  noun  clause; 
Bruce,  nominative 
of  address. 


EjfecHve  English  and  Letter  Writing  2 1 

Exercise  6 
30.  Diagram  the  following  sentences  and  determine  whether  the  verbs 
are  transitive,  intransitive,  or  copulative,  and  whether  the  nouns  follow- 
ing the  verbs  are  attributes  or  objects: 

1.  The  clerk  sold  the  goods. 

2.  "Washington  was  President. 

3.  His  friend  bought  a  horse. 

4.  Tom  is  a  good  horse. 

5.  Bring  the  book. 

6.  The  wind  blew  fiercely. 

7.  The  man  paid  the  debt. 

8.  The  bear  attacked  the  hunter. 

9.  Grant  was  a  famous  general. 

10.  Idleness  brings  no  reward. 

11.  The  young  lady  became  a  famous  musician. 

12.  The  child  overturned  the  kettle. 

13.  The  man  was  a  philosopher. 

14.  Peter  is  the  man. 

15.  Knowledge  is  power. 

16.  Merit  wins  recognition. 

17.  Mountain  sheep  run  swiftly  and  fearlessly. 

18.  Slow  and  steady  wins  the  race. 

19.  Longfellow  is  the  children*s  poet. 

20.  We  should  improve  our  time  faithfully. 

21.  Mr.  Barber  is  my  neighbor. 

22.  Mary  has  a  new  book. 

23.  That  is  he. 

24.  The  htmter  shot  the  eagle. 

25.  She  was  my  teacher. 

LESSON  9— The  Pronoun 

31.  A  Pronoun  is  a  word  used  instead  of  a  noun. 

1.  The  principal  pronouns  are:  /,  me,  my,  mine,  we,  us,  our,  ours, 
you,  your,  yours,  he,  him,  his,  she,  her,  hers,  it,  its,  they,  them,  theirs,  who, 
whom,  which,  what,  that,  and  sometimes  as  and  but. 

2.  The  following  are  the  nominative  forms,  and  are  used  only  as 
subjects  or  attributes,  never  as  objects :     /,  we,  she,  he,  it,  they,  who. 

3.  The  following  are  the  objective  forms,  and  are  used  as  the  objects 
of  transitive  verbs  or  prepositions :  me,  us,  him,  her,  them,  whom.  The 
others  are  used  as  subjects  or  objects  without  change  of  form. 

4.  The  following  are  the  possessive  forms,  and  are  used  to  denote  pos- 
session: our,  ours,  his,  hers,  yours,  theirs,  whose.  You,  it  and  that  may 
be  used  without  change  of  form,  in  either  nominative  or  objective  relation. 
Never  use  an  apostrophe  with  a  personal  pronoun.  Yours  truly,  not 
Your's  truly. 


a2  Effective  English  and  Letter '  Writing 

Exercise  7 
32.  Study  the  following  sentences  until  you  become  familiar  with  the 
correct  forms  of  the  pronouns:    Diagram. 

1.  It  was  1. 

2.  It  seems  to  be  he. 

3.  The  stick  is  his. 

4.  She  handed,  a  note  to  hijn. 

5.  The  man  gave  me  a  book. 

6.  The  young  man  was  given  a  lemon  by 'her. 

7.  He  woiild  like  to  be  president. 

8.  There  come  Tom  and  Mary  to  visit  him  and  me. 

9.  We  beheve  it  to  b   him.  "       "~     "" 

10.  I  am  a  man  who  am  a  Jew. 

11.  John,  he  who  was  hurt,  is  better. 

12.  His  being  tardy  caused  the  delay. 

13.  He  being  tardy,  the  meeting  adjourned. 

14.  They  invited  my  sister  and  me. 

15.  I  thought  it  was  they. 

16.  It  could  not  have  been  he. 

17.  "Shut  the  door,  Tom,"  said  he. 

18.  I  had  heard  of  your  and  your  sister's  being  promoted. 

19.  Their  signing  the  treaty  made  the  people  rejoice. 

20.  Mary,  give  me  the  book. 

21.  She  invited  Tom  and  me. 

22.  He  and  I  go  to  the  same  school. 

23.  That  is  he  and  she. 

24.  They  named  the  boy  Carl. 

25.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  be  I? 

26.  "Success  is  the  measure  of  effort,"  she  told  me. 

33.  Repeat  the  following  expressions  until  they  become  so  familiar 
that  you  will  use  them  from  force  of  habit: 

It  is  I.  It  was  I.  It  wasn't  I. 

It  is  she.  It  was  he.  It  wasn't  he. 

It  is  he  It  was  she.  It  wasn't  she. 

It  is  we.  It  was  we.  It  wasn't  we. 

It  is  they.  It  was  they.  It  wasn't  they. 

Was  it  I?  It  isn't  I.  Was  it  not  I? 

Was  it  she?  It  isn't  we.  Was  it  not  we? 

Was  it  they?  It  isn't  they.  Was  it  not  they? 

Could  it  have  been  we  ?  It  was  not  we. 

It  proved  not  to  be  they.  It  might  have  been  he.   y 

y 

LESSON  lO-Verbs  Forms 

34.  Regular  Verbs  form  the  past  tense  and  past  participle  by  adding 
ed  (or  d)  to  the  present  form  of  the  verb ;  thus : 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


23 


Present  Tense  (time) 
Love 
End 
Form 
Turn 


Past  Tense 
loved 
ended 
formed 
turned 


Past  Participle 
loved 
ended 
formed 
turned 


Present  Tense 
See 
Teach 
Ride 
Write 


35.  Irregular  Verbs  form  the  past  tense  and  the  past  participle  in 
some  other  way;  thus: 

Past  Tense  Past  Participle 

saw  seen 

taught  taught 

rode  ridden 

wrote  written 

36.  Many  errors  in  English  arise  from  using  the  incorrect  form  of  the 
irregular  verb.  Say,  "/  have  seen,"  not  "/  have  saw."  "I  saw,"  not 
"/  seen."  "I  did  the  work"  not  "/  done  the  work."  "7  have  done  the  work," 
not  "7  have  did  the  work." 

37.  An  Auxiliary  is  a  word  used  with  a  verb  to  help  in  expressing 
its  meaning.  The  auxiliaries  are:  do,  does,  did,  be,  been,  being,  is,  am,  are, 
was,  were,  have,  has,  had,  shall,  should,  will,  would,  may,  might,  can,  could, 
and  must. 

38.  Partial  list  of  irregular  verbs. 


Present 

Past 

Past  Par. 

Present 

Past 

Past  Par 

Be  (am) 

was 

been 

eat 

ate 

eaten 

Begin 

began 

begun 

fly 

flew 

flown 

Do 

did 

done 

flee 

fled 

fled 

Go 

went 

gone 

ring 

rang 

rung 

Lose 

lost 

lost 

sing 

sang 

sung 

Lay 

laid 

laid 

come 

came 

come 

Lie 

lay 

lain 

shrink 

shrank 

shrunk 

Rise 

rose 

risen 

write 

wrote 

written 

Sit 

sat 

C^/ 

buy 

bought 

bought 

Set 

set 

set 

bid 

bade 

bidden 

FaU 

feU 

fallen 

bite 

bit 

bitten 

Know 

knew 

known 

break 

broke 

broken 

Hide 

hid 

hidden 

blow 

blew 

blown 

Grow 

grew 

grown 

swear 

swore 

sworn 

Shine  , 

shone 

shone 

swim 

swam 

swum 

Let.c^'<      let 

let 

.    break 

broke 

broken 

For  a  mbre/e^tensiya^list  of  irregular  verbs  see  some  more  compre- 
hensive work.    Q_^^\^M:i^ 

Exercise  8 
39.   Write  original  sentences  showing  the  correct  use  of  the  present, 
the  past  and  the  past  participle  of  the  following  verbs: 


24  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Example :  Mary  comes  quietly  into  the  room.  Mary  came  home  yester- 
day.    Mary  has  come  to  visit  us. 

See,  am,  arise,  eat,  begin,  beseech,  bid,  bite,  blow,  bring,  catch,  choose, 
crow,  drive,  do,  fly,  freeze,  give,  know,  lie,  lay,  ride,  rise,  raise,  feel,  fall, 
sit,  set,  throw,  go,  wear,  teach,  win,  write,  slay. 

LESSON  11— Letters  Containing  Enclosures 

40.  Checks,  drafts,  receipts,  bills,  etc.,  are  often  enclosed  with  a  letter. 
The  enclosure  should  be  placed,  face  upward,  across  the  face  of  the  letter 
and  folded  with  it.  (Teacher  should  here  give  a  demonstration.)  Papers 
enclosed  in  this  way  are  not  Hkely  to  be  overlooked  when  the  letter  is 
removed  from  the  envelope. 

Enclosures  should  be  carefully  preserved  until  the  letters  are  written, 
then  pinned  to  the  letters  they  are  to  go  with. 

Another  way  is  to  put  them  in  properly  directed  envelopes  before  the 
letters  themselves  are  written. 

In  order  to  be  sure  of  the  number  of  enclosures  that  go  with  a  letter, 
the  ntmiber  should  be  specified  on  the  lower  left  hand  comer  of  the  letter 
itself.     See  model  letter  below. 

When  writing  this  kind  of  a  letter,  the  amount  of  the  enclosure  (if 
it  is  a  paper  representing  money)  should  be  stated  in  figures,  but  not  in 
writing. 

The  following  is  good  form  for  a  letter  containing  an  enclosure : 
Cunningham,  Curtis  &  Welch,  Oakland,  Cal.,  July  i8,  191 2. 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Gentlemen : 

Enclosed  find  check  No.  78  for  $400,  the  amount  required  to  balance 
my  account  to  date. 

Please  receipt  and  return  enclosed  statement. 

^  Yours  truly, 

(2  enc.)  R.  V.  Dixon. 

41.  Write  to  W.  B,  Holmes  at  Denver,  Colo.,  informing  him  that  you 
have  leased  his  farm  near  Hayward,  Cal.,  to  S.  J.  Cooper  for  a  yearly 
rental  of  $600,  Say  that  you  believe  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  competent  and  re- 
liable man  (state  some  reason  for  your  belief).  Enclose  certified  check 
for  the  first  quarter's  rent,  less  your  commission  of  2%  on  the  year's  rental, 
and  less  $50,  which  was  paid  for  repairs  on  the  house.  State  that  you 
enclose  the  bill  of  L.  P.  Lewis,  the  contractor  who  did  the  repairing. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  25 

LESSON  12-letter8  Ordering  Goods 

42.  In  a  letter  ordering  goods,  the  various  items  of  the  order  shotdd 
be  in  tabular  form,  all  beginning  at  the  regular  paragraph  point.  In  busi- 
ness letters  it  is  customary  to  use  figures  instead  of  writing  numbers  in 
words.  In  ordering  from  a  catalogue  where  goods  are  represented  by  num- 
ber, this  number  should  always  be  given,  the  article  specified,  and  the 
particular  catalogue  mentioned. 

If  you  are  not  ordering  from  a  catalogue  always  give  sizes,  styles,  and 
all  other  details  you  possibly  can,  unless  you  are  sure  the  shipper  knows 
precisely  what  you  want.  If  terms  of  payment  have  not  been  previously 
arranged,  state  how  you  wish  to  make  payment. 

All  orders  should  be  acknowledged,  as  the  acknowledgment  com- 
pletes the  contract.  It  also  pleases  the  customer  to  be  assured  of  the  re- 
ceipt of  his  order,  and  the  attention  it  is  receiving. 

Definite  directions  shotdd  always  be  given,  stating  how  and  when, 
goods  should  be  shipped.     The  following  letter  is  a  good  form : 

Oakland,^:ial.,  Oct.  16,  1912. 
ElHs  PubHshing  Co.,       -tyn^nytAyo-^njJuvtc^rry  • 

Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
Gentlemen : 

Please  ship  us  by  fast  freight  the  following: 

100  sets  New  Tablet  Method  of  Teaching  Bookkeeping. 

150  Model  Arithmetics. 

1000  Order  Tickets.     Cat.  No.  150. 

150  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing. 

50  sets  Bank  Accounting. 

25  sets  Corporation  and  Voucher  Accounting. 

500  Checks  Books,  50-page,  Merchants  Bank.     Cat.  No.  287. 

We  will  remit  on  receipt  of  goods. 

Yours  truly, 

43.  The  above  arrangement  gives  clearness  to  the  letter,  inasmuch 
as  it  enables  the  concern  filling  the  order  from  it,  to  check  off  conveniently 
the  items  as  they  are  supplied. 

Notice  that  the  figures  in  each  line  of  the  order  begin  on  the  paragraph 
margin  and  that  the  figures  of  each  part  of  the  order  Une  up  to  the  left 
instead  of  the  right. 

Why  is  the  colon  used  after  "the  following?" 

Why  is,  "New  Tablet  Method  of  Teaching  Bookkeeping"  capital- 
ized, while  "sets"  is^not  begun  with  a  capital? 

44.  Write  a  letter  to  the  Ackley  Pub.  Co.,  Chicago,  111.,  enclosing 
a  New  York  draft  for  $75.50  in  payment  of  their  bill  (specify  the  date). 


a6  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Also  include  in  the  body  of  your  letter  an  order  for  the  following: 
loo  copies  Ackley  Shorthand;  50  Progressive  Exercises;  140  copies  New- 
Speller;  25  copies  National  Typewriter  Instructor.^ 

45.  Write  answers  to  the  following  questions  and  submit  to  your 
teacher: 

1.  In  writing  to  a  stranger  do  you  close  with  ^'I  am"  or  "I  remain?" 

2.  Do  you  close  with"  Yours  sincerely"  to  a  stranger? 

3.  Do  you  write  an  order  for  goods  in  the  body  of  the  letter  or  on 
a  separate  sheet? 

4.  In  writing  a  date  do  "st,"  "d,"  or  "th"  come  after  the  figures  in- 
dicating the  day  of  the  month?     Thus  "Mar.  5^!;,  1907." 

5.  How  should  a  married  woman  sign  her  name  to  a  letter? 

6.  Do  you  use  "Messrs."  before  "Company?" 

7.  Do  you  capitalize  "st."  and  "ave."? 

8.  Are  contracted  words  always  followed  by  periods?      )    '    < 

9.  What  does  "pp  27-31"  mean? 

10.  Is  the  sign  #  any  longer  properly  used  on  an  envelope  to  indicate 
the  number  of  the  house  on  the  street? 

*~  II.  What  do  "i.  e.",  "e.  g.",  "viz.",  and  "via"  mean? 

12.  Do  you  hyphenate  "one  third,"  fifty  fotir,"  etc? 

13.  Do  you  write  sums  of  money  in  figures  or  spell  them  out? 

14.  Do  you  write  a  business  letter  on  both  sides  of  the  paper? 

15.  Should  names  of  streets  and  cities  be  abbreviated? 

16.  Why  should  information  about  another  person  be  treated  con- 
fidentially? 

17.  Should  all  letters  be  called  "your  favor?" 

18.  If  a  letter  is  directed  to  a  small  town  is  it  advisable  to  put  the  name 
of  the  county  in  the  superscription?     Where? 

19.  What  is  wrong  with  the  following  envelope  address? 

Mr.  H.  R.  Mauser, 
City. 

LESSON  13-Phrase8. 

46.  A  Phrase  is  a  group  of  words,  not  containing  a  predicate  verb, 
that  performs  the  ofRce  of  a  single  word;  as,  A  man  of  honor  will  not  com- 
promise his  conscience.  Of  honor  is  a  phrase  equivalent  to  the  word  honor- 
able, an  adjective  modifying  man. 

Phrases  are  classified  as  to  structure  into  Prepositional,  Infinitive, 
and  Participial. 

I.  A  Prepositional  Phrase  consists  of  a  preposition  and,  usually,  a 
notm  or  pronoun  used  as  its  object.  In  the  sentence  in  paragraph  46  "of 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


27 


honor**  is  the  phrase,  "of"  being  the  preposition,  and  "honor  "  its  object. 
2.  An  Infinitive  Phrase  consists  of  some  verb  form  always  preceded  by 
to,  expressed  or  understood,  and  used  to  name  an  action  or  state  of  being 
without  asserting  it  of  a  subject;  as,  The  boy  tries  to  learn  English.  To 
learn  English  is  the  infinitive  phrase,  to  learn  being  the  infinitive  verb,  and 
English  its  object. 


boy      ^     tries 


to    learn     |      English 


The 


3.  A  Participle  is  a  form  of  the  verb  that  may  be  used  as  a  noun  or  an 
adjective.  It  may  be  modified  by  an  adjective,  or  by  an  adverb,  and  it 
may  take  an  object. 

There  are  two  participial  forms, — the  Present  and  the  Past. 

I.  The  Present  Participle  ends  in  ing:  as,  playing,  running,  jumping, 
swimming.     The  present  participle  may  be  used  as  a  noun  or  as  an  adjective. 

Example:  His  preparing  the  thesis  so  carefully  secured  him  the  cap 
having  the  red  plume. 


preparing           | 

thesis 

secured     | 

cap 

I 

His 

carefully 

the 

so 

X    j    him 

the 

having 

olume 

the 
red 

Preparing  is  a  participle  used  as  a  noun  and  limited  by  the  possessive 
pronoun  his,  it  is  also  limited  by  the  adverb  carefully,  and  has  tliesis 
as  its  object.  Having  is  a  participle  used  as  an  adjecti\^e  limiting  cap, 
and  having  plume  for  its  object. 


a8 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


2.  The  Past  Participle  generally  ends  in  d,  ed,  t,  n,  or  en.     It  may 
be  used  as  an  adjective,  never  as  a  noun:  as  She,  loved  by  all,  died  early. 

She      I        died 


loved 


early. 


by  I    all 


Loved  is  a  past  participle  modifying  s^ie,  and  it,  in  turn,  is  limited  by 
by  all,  a  prepositional  phrase  used  as  an  adverb. 

The  participle  used  as  an  adjective  usually  follows  the  noun  it 
modifies;  as.  The  man  standing  by  the  door  is  my  brother.  Sometimes  it 
precedes  the  noun,  and  when  it  does  it  is  separated  from  its  noun  by  a 
hyphen;  as.  The  printing-press  is  out  of  order. 

Prepositional  phrases  are  used  only  as  adjectival  or  adverbial  modifiers. 
The  infinitive  and  participial  phrase  may  be  used  as  the  subject,  the  object, 
the  attribute,  the  adverb,  or  the  adjective. 

The  participial  phrase  used  as  the  subject  is  never  set  off  by  a 
comma:  as.  His  coming  late  delayed  the  meeting. 


coming 

delayed      | 

His 

late 

meeting. 

the 

The   participial  phrase,   used   in   an  absolute   sense,   is  always   set 
off  by  a  comma ;  as,  He  failing  to  appear,  the  citizens  were  exasperated. 


citizens 


were      exasperated 


the 


He 


(because) 


failing 


to   appear 


He  is  the  assumed  subject  of  failing,  failing,  a  participle,  is  the  as- 
sumed predicate  of  he. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 
We  wanted  him  to  study  English. 

him       I   to      study  |      English 


29 


We 


wanted 


Him  is  the  assumed  subject  of  the  infinitive  to  study. 

Exercise  9. 
47.  Name  the  class  to  which  each  of  the  following  phrases  belongs, 
and  where  it  is  in  a  sentence,  tell  how  it  is  used: 

1.  on  the  hill. 

2.  to  secure  a  job. 

3.  Having  shot  the  deer,  Mr.  Decker  was  elated. 

4.  honored  by  all. 

5.  in  the  office. 

6.  to  do  -well. 

7.  having  finished  his  work. 

8.  Her  displeasing  the  teacher  caused  the  trouble. 

9.  of  the  company. 


C,<d 


10.  thrown  from  his  horse.  r'  -r^  ^ 

11.  The  horse  ran  away.  j  V 

12.  of  courtesy. 

13.  to  spend  money. 

14.  from  bur  college. 

15.  out  of  order. 

16.  A  man  of  prudence  was  chosen 

17.  He  went  in  haste. 

18.  He  came  to  mock  the  minister. 

19.  Our  telephone  is  out  of  order. 

20.  The  flowers  in  the  garden  are  blooming. 

21.  The  papers  are  deUvered  in  the  evening. 

22.  The  students,  stirred  by  emulation,  did  their  best. 

23.  The  history  of  words  is  an  interesting  study. 

24.  By  constant  practice  she  has  learned  to  write  with  ease. 

25.  They  tried  to  teach  him  mathematics. 

26.  He  came  to  visit  Lucy  and  me. 

27.  The  politician,  despised  by  all,  took  a  bribe. 

28.  Letters  of  recommendation  will  be  helpful  to  you. 

29.  His  garden,  surrounded  by  a  high  fence,  was  not  molested. 


The  young  man  wasting  his  time,  is  a  pitiable  object. 

Their  leaving  the  gate  open  caused  the  trouble. 

They  not  completing  the  course,  the  merchants  doubt  their  qualifications. 

His  being  first  in  class  secured  him  the  position. 

They,  studying  diligently,  passed  a  brilliant  examination. 


30  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

LESSON  14— Adjectives  and  Adyerbs 

48.  An  Adjective  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the  meaning  of  a  noun  or 
pronoun,  usually  showing  what  kind,  which  one,  how  many;  as, 

Beautiful  rose.  What  kind  of  a  rose?  Beautiful. 

The  third  book.  Which  one  of  the  books?     Third. 

One  dozen  of  eggs.  How  many  dozens?  One. 

An  Adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  the  meaning  of  a  verb,  an  adjec- 
tive, or  another  adverb,  usually  by  showing  how,  when,  where,  why,  how 
long,  how  often,  sometimes  how  much,  but  never  how  many. 

Tell  which  of  the  above  questions  the  adverbs  in  the  following  sentences 
answer: 

1.  The  trains  run  rapidly. 

2 .  The  girl  studies  in  the  morning. 

3.  The  rain  falls  on  the  roof.     Phrase  as  an  adverb. 

4.  The  slave  fought  for  his  freedom. 

5.  The  flight  continued  indefinitely. 

6.  She  skipped  the  rope  twenty  times. 

7 .  He  paid  twenty  dollars  for  the  suit. 

8    He  flew  easily  and  siviftly  in  his  aeroplane  from  St.  Louis  to  Chicago. 

It  is  a  common  error  to  complete  a  verb  used  to  assert  an  attribute 
of  its  subject  with  an  adverb  instead  of  an  adjective. 

When  the  condition  of  the  subject  is  to  be  expressed  use  the  adject- 
ive; as,  She  looks  sad. 

When  the  manner  of  the  action  is  to  be  expressed  use  an  adverb; as, 
The  bird  flew  rapidly. 

Thus  people  say,  "She  looks  badly,"  when  they  should  say,  "She 
looks  bad,"  and  "He  arrived  safely,  instead  of  "He  arrived  safe." 

Exercise  10 

49.  Write  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  proper  word: 

1.  They  walked  (slow,  slowly).  -   -        --  ^   '  ' 

2.  You  look  {sad,  sadly).  ,        - 

3.  He  stood  {silent,  silently). 

4.  He  sings  {bad,  badly).  ^r^xJO-i--'^ 

5.  Please  remain  {quiet,  quietly).      ^■"" 

6.  His  voice  sounds  {harsh,  harshly). 

7.  The  vessel  broke  {easy,  easily). 

8.  He  crept  {silent,  silently)  into  the  room. 

9.  The  garment  looks  {nice,  nicely). 

10.  He  looks  {suspicious,  suspiciously). 

11.  The  river  runs  {rapid,  rapidly). 

12.  My  father  speaks  {low,  lowly). 
1.?.  Mary  sings  {sweet,  sweetly). 

14.  How  {sad,  sadly)  she  must  feel. 


Effectwe  English  aitd  Letter  Writing  31 

15.  Come  here  {quick,  quickly). 

16.  The  rose  he  sent  me  smells  {{fragrant,  fragrantly). 

17.  He  sounded  the  bugle  {loud,  loudly). 

1 8.  She  remained  {helpless,  helplessly)  at  home. 

19.  He  tiied  {hard,  hardly)  to  win  the  prize. 
2).  He  looked  {angry,  angrily)  at  us. 

21.  Didn't  she  smile  {sweet,  sweetly)! 

22.  He  stood  {defiant ,  defiantly) . 

23.  His  promises  do  not  ring  {true,  truly). 

24.  Draw  the  string  {tight,  tightly). 

25.  The  string  was  wrapped  {tight,  tightly)  around  his  finger. 

26.  The  fruit  tastes  {sweet,  sweetly). 

27.  He  stood  {idle,  idly)  watching  the  men  at  work. 

28.  She  walks  {graceful,  gracefully). 

29.  He  spoke  so  {eloquently,  eloquent)  upon  the  subject  of  "Man's  Responsibility" 
that  many  persons  in  the  audience  wept  {bitter,  bitterly) . 

30.  She  looked  {real,  really)  angry. 

LESSON  1 5— Comparison  of  Adjectives  and  Adverbs 

50.  Adjectives  and  adverbs  admit  a  change  of  form  to  express  quality 
or  modification  in  different  degrees;  namely: 

The  Positive  degree  which  is  expressed  by  the  ordinary  form  of  the 
word;  as  high,  small. 

The  Comparative  degree,  which  indicates  a  higher  or  lower  degree 
than  the  positive;  as,  higher,  smaller. 

The  Superlative  degree,  which  indicates  the  highest  or  lowest  degree; 
as,  largest,  smallest. 

Words  of  one  syllable  and  many  words  of  two  syllables  are  compared 
by  adding  er  to  the  positive  to  form  the  comparative,  and  est  to  the  posi- 
tive to  form  the  superlative. 

Most  words  of  two  syllables  or  more  are  compared  by  prefixing  more 
for  the  comparative  and  most  for  the  superlative ;  as,  plentiful,  more  plenti- 
ful, most  plentiful. 

Some  words  are  compared  irregularly;  as  good,  better,  best;  little,  less, 
least. 

Double  comparison  is  incorrect  and  should  not  be  used.  Say, "He  is 
the  more  honest  of  the  two,"  not  "the  more  honester  man." 

Double  negatives  are  incorrect  and  should  never  be  used.  Say,  "I 
have  no  money,"  or,  "I  haven't  any  money;"  never,  "I  haven't  w<3money," 
or  similar  expressions. 

It  is  a  common  error  to  use  the  superlative  degree  to  compare  two 
objects.     Use  the  comparative  form  to  compare  two  objects;  the  superla- 


32  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

tive  to  compare  three  or  more  objects.     Say,  "James  is  the  taller  of  the 
two  boys,"  not  "the  tallest.' 

In  making  comparisons  in  the  positive  or  comparative  neither  of  the 
terms  compared  should  include  the  other.  You  should  not  say  "Iron  is 
more  useful  than  any  metal,"  but  "Iron  is  more  useful  than  any  other 
metal." 

Some  words  from  their  meaning  do  not  admit  of  comparison;  such  as, 
perfect,  sqtiare,  round,  horizontal,  vertical.  Say,  "This  line  is  more  nearly 
vertical  than  that,"  not  "more  vertical." 

Repeat  a,  an,  and  the  when  necessary  to  prevent  ambiguity  when 
adjectives  of  equal  rank  refer  to  the  same  object.  Say,  "The  red  and 
white  cow,"  when  one  cow  is  meant;  say,  "The  red  and  the  white  cow," 
when  more  than  one  cow  is  meant.  Say,  "He  received  the  title  of  earl," 
not  "of  an  earl." 

^Adjectives  that  express  the  idea  of  number  must  be  used  with  nouns 
of  the  same  number  J  Say,  "This  kind  of  apples,"  not  "these  kind.""  That 
sort  of  people,"  not  "those  sort."     Say,  "those  kinds,"  "these  sorts." 

A  pronoun  in  the  possessive  case  has  the  force  of  an  adjective. 

Adverbs  have  two  uses:  They  may  modify,  or  they  may  modify  and 
connect. 

When  they  are  used  only  to  modify  they  are  simple  adverbs.  Adverbs 
express  time,  place,  manner  and  degree;  as,  He  is  going  tomorrow.  Where 
is  Boston?     He  talks  slaivly.     It  was  cold  enough  to  freeze. 

When  they  both  modify  and  connect  they  are  called  conjunctive  ad- 
verbs. A  conjunctive  adverb  usually  introduces  a  clause  used  as  an  ad- 
verbial modifier,  and  modifies  the  verb  in  each  clause. 

The  principal  conjunctive  adverbs  are:  as,  after,  before,  where,  when, 
since,  while,  and  why. 

61.  An  adjective  pronoun  must  agree  in  number  with  the  noun  it 
limits. 

Exercise  11 

52.  Write  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  proper  word: 

1.  Where  do  they  raise  (titose,  that)  kind  of  oranges? 

2.  I  like  {these,  this)  kind  of  gloves  better  than  {those,  that). 

3.  What  (does,  do)  {that,  those)  sort  of  people  do  for  a  living? 

4.  {This,  these)  sort  of  hats  {are,  is)  more  fashionable  than  {those,  that)  kind. 

5.  He  has  been  deacon  in  our  church  {these,  this)  thirty  years. 

6.  That  man  is  seven  {foot,  feet)  tall. 

7.  {These,  that)  kind  of  apples  no  one  likes. 

8.  {These,  that)  class  of  goods  {is,  are)  not  profitable. 

9.  I  dislike  {that,  those)  sort  of  berries. 

63.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  use  the  pronoun  them  for  the  adjective 
tliose. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  33 

Exercise  12 

5  4.  Rewrite  and  correct  the  following : 

1.  Them  boys  is  noisy. 

2.  Them  books  you  loaned  me  is  lost. 

3.  Why  did  you  buy  them  kind. 

4.  He  bought  them  goods  in  New  York. 

5.  I  wrote  them  sentences  two  times. 

6.  Them  shoes  are  too  large. 

7.  Where  do  they  raise  them  kind  of  oranges? 

8.  I  like  them  kind  of  gloves  better  than  those. 

9.  Them  sort  of  hats  are  more  fashionable  than  those  kind. 

55.  In  comparing  two  objects  use  the  comparative  degree  of  the  ad- 
jective; in  comparing  three  or  more  use  the  superlative. 

Exercise  13 

56.  Choose  the  correct  word  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  James  is  the  (tallest,  taller)  of  the  two  boys. 

2.  Father  was  the  (elder,  eldest)  of  five  brothers. 

3.  I  can't  tell  which  I  like  the  (best,  better)  of  the  two  books. 

4.  The  (smallest,  smaller)  of  the  two  diamonds  is  the  (more,  most)  expensive. 

5.  Mary  was  the  (prettiest,  prettier)  of  the  twins;  but  James  was  the  (smartest, 
smarter). 

6.  He  is  the  (swa//g5t,  5Wo/Z^)  of  the  two.  'f  f\       'V 

Review  Exercise  14  -^ 

67.  Rewrite  and  correct  the  following: 

1.  Which  is  the  sharpest  end  of  this  stick? 

2.  This  is  a  more  quicker  way. 

3.  This  store  sells  more  goods  than  any,  store  in  this  city. 

4.  They  bought  a  more  cheaper  kind. 

5.  Of  the  two  machines,  that  one  cost  the  i^ost,  but  it  is  the  easiest  sold. 

6.  This  was  more  universal  than  that. 

7.  Which  is  the  oldest,  you  or  John?  C^'^''  '"'• 

8.  A  more  happier  pair  you  never  met. 

9.  China  has  a  greater  population  than  any  nation  on  earth. 

10.  A  more  agreeable  companion  you  cannot  find. 

11.  That  ship  is  larger  than  any  of  its  class. 

12.  He  has  a  most  spotless  reputation. 

13.  Them  books  were  sold  for  a  lesser  price  than  they  cost. 

14.  These  kind  of  books  can  hardly  be  obtained. 

15.  We  offer  to  immediately  send  a  letter  to  our  subscribers.  '^WC-    '     -  - ' 

16.  The  jury' disagreeing  was  a  surprise  to  me. 
v^l7.  He  is  one  of  these  kind  of  fellows. 

18.  They  told  us  about  the  cashier  taking  the  money. 

19.  All  the  teachers  knew  about  me  being  late. 

20.  Teacher,  them  books  do  not  belong  to  me. 

21.  We  was  disappointed  at  your  not  being  there. 

22.  The  Martins  went  to  Florida  (to,  too,  two)  year  ago. 


34  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

58.  Adverbs,  not  adjectives,  should  be  used  to  modify  adjectives. 

Exercise  15 

69.  Correct  the  following: 

1.  It  is  real  pretty. 

2.  He  is  not  much  hurt. 

3.  She  was  terrible  angry. 

4.  She  was  a  real  good  stenographer. 

5.  It  was  uncommon  cold. 

6.  The  ceremony  was  performed  in  a  pretty  arranged  parlor. 

7.  It  was  an  awful  cold  day. 

8.  It  was  an  odd  shaped  affair. 

9.  It  was  a  tolerable  cold  day. 

10.  She  was  an  unusual  good  stenographer. 

11.  It  was  a  splendid  arranged  affair. 

12.  I  feel  remarkable  well. 

13.  It  was  an  exceeding  dark  night. 

14.  He  was  very  near  successful. 

60.  The  words  no,  not,  none,  nobody,  neither,  nor,  never,  and  nothing 
f  are  called  negatives  because  their  use  changes  an  affirmative  sentence  to 
\    a  negative  one. 

^'  Exercise  16 

61.  Review  "Comparison  of  Adjectives  and  Adverbs,"  and  correct 
the  following: 

1.  I  didn't  ha-'^e  no  cake  and  I  ain't  got  no  money  to  buy  none. 

2.  ,He  doesn't  know  nothing  about  it. 

3.  Abraham  Lincoln  never  went  to  no  college. 

4.  One  can't  never  tell  what  is  going  to  happen, 
6.  I'm  afraid  I  won't  never  learn  to  write  good. 

6.  Neither  Frank  nor  nobody  else  passed  the  examination. 

7.  In  spelling  them  words  you  cannot  have  but  one  trial. 

8.  John  said  to  the  teacher,  "I  hain't  got  no  merchandise." 

9.  Didn't  nobody  tell  you  what  to  do? 

10.  There  wasn't  none  of  the  senators  that  voted  for  the  bill. 

11.  I  can't  see  no  difference  between  these  pictures. 

12.  She  don't  seem  to  use  no  judgment  in  such  matters. 

13.  You  can't  scarcely  tell  them  boys  apart. 

14.  I  never  took  no  writing  lessons. 

15.  He  never  done  nothing  too  them. 

Exercise  17 — Review  of  Previous  Lessoni 

62.  Rewrite  and  correct  the  following  sentences: 

1.  I  did  not  object  to  him  helping  me. 

2.  He  rode  past  me  so  quick  I  scarcely  seen  him. 

3.  He  is  older  than  her,  but  she  is  the  smartest. 

4.  That  is  easier  said  than  done. 

6.  Of  two  methods  adopt  the  shortest. 
6.  I  think  that  it  is  him. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  35 

7.  I  have  wrote  for  the  books,  but  they  have  not  came. 

8.  They  have  began  the  building. 

9.  There  were  a  crowd  of  boys  in  the  room. 

10.  One  of  you  are  mistaken. 

11.  They  have  went  away. 

12.  Where  was  you  last  night  ? 

13.  You  are  stronger  than  me. 

14.  I  blowed  the  light  out. 

15.  He  likes  these  kind  of  apples. 

16.  I  seen  him  today. 

17.  Who  did  you  invite? 

18.  I  never  knew  a  more  happier  man. 

19.  William  has  did  his  work  well. 

20.  The  blame  is  their's  not  your's. 

21.  John  went  with  James  and  I. 

22.  Sense  and  honor  wins  esteem. 

23.  I  can  build  a  house  easier  than  I  can  write  an  essay. 

24.  You  do  not  write  good. 

25.  My  pen  does  not  write  good. 

26.  The  boy  came  back  as  quickly  as  he  could. 

27.  I  would  study  bookkeeping  if  I  was  you. 

28.  Would  that  everybody  was  honest. 

29.  Who  did  Charhe  go  to  see? 

30.  How  sadly  she  must  feel. 

31.  You  have  went  over  that  lesson  a  dozen  times. 

32.  Between  you  and  I  that  work  was  did  good  enough. 

33.  There  are  none  of  us  left  now  but  you  and  me. 

34.  Between  you  and  I ,  he  is  the  most  deserving  of  the  two. 

35.  One  of  those  days  fall  on  Sunday. 

LESSON  16— Superfluons  MaUer 

63.  As  a  rule,  whatever  does  not  add  to  the  thought,  detracts  just  so 

much  from  its  clearness  and  force.  Name  the  unnecessary  words  in  the 
following  expressions: 

It  cannot  be  possible.  Future  prospects. 

Finally  settled.  ,  Gather  together. 

Full  complement.  Practical  benefit. 

First  of  all.  In    the    city    of    Oakland. 

The  last  end.  First  began. 

Over  again.  A  grove  of  trees. 

Both  of  them.  They  seemed  to  be  good. 

New  beginner.  Red  colored. 

In  the  year  1908.  Most  perfect. 

A  charming  and  attractive  girl.  Up  to  the  usual  average. 

Later  on.  A  little  small  one. 

Throughout  the  whole  book.  Returned  back  again. 


36  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Universal  everywhere.  My  esteemed  and  respected  hearers. 

An  estimable  widow  woman.  2  P.  M.  Saturday  afternoon. 

Erase  it  out.  A  false  wig. 

An  exact  fac-simile.  They  conversed  together. 

He  walked  on  foot.  Our  forefathers  who  came  before  us. 

Exercise  18 

64-  Point  out  the  unnecessary  words  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  He  resides  in  a  little  small  house  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city. 

2.  Souvenirs  were  given  away  free  gratis  for  nothing. 

3.  I  do  not  wish  for  any  at  all. 

4.  I  shall  soon  have  it  finally  completed. 

5.  This  is  the  universal  opinion  of  all  men. 

6.  It  is  all  right  so  far  as  that  is  concerned. 

7.  They  have  no  other  object  but  to  come. 

8.  Iron  sinks  down  in  water,  but  cork  floats  on  top  of  the  water. 

9.  I  wish  to  inform  you  that  I  have  leased  your  farm  to  Wm.  R.  Thomas. 

10.  I  can  do  it  equally  as  well  as  he. 

11.  As  we  looked  at  the  sky,  a  very  unusual  phenomenon  took  place. 

12.  Later  on  they  intend  to  open  up  a  real  estate  office. 

13.  He  did  not  depart  this  life  until  he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  four 
score  years  and  ten. 

14.  I  have  still  got  my  money  and  expect  to  keep  it  always  and  forever. 

15.  The  Remington  is  used  in  most  all  business  schools. 

16.  You  do  very  well  for  a  new  beginner. 

17.  He  may  possibly  go,  but  he  cannot  possibly  succeed. 

18.  They  returned  back  again  to  their  first  and  former  starting  place. 

19.  I  am  writing  in  answer  to  your  advertisement  which  I  saw  in  last  night's 
Bulletin. 

20.  I  will  send  you  the  remainder  of  the  money  in  the  near  future. 

21.  Enclosed  please  find  my  check  amounting  to  $75.00. 

22.  She  was  a  charming  and  attractive  girl. 

23.  His  habit  of  talking  to  himself  had  become  habitual. 

24.  Errors  are  to  be  found  throughout  the  whole  book. 

25.  He  was  a  stout,  fleshy  man  and  had  formed  the  curious  and  singular  habit 
of  walking  with  both  of  his  two  hands  tightly  closed. 

"Speak  properly  and  in  as  few  words  as  you  can,  but  always 
plainly;  for  the  end  of  speech  is  not  ostentation,  but  to  be  under- 
stood," 

LESSON  17— Brevity  and  Terseness  in  Letter  Writing 

65.  While  a  majority  of  letter  writers  are  inclined  to  the  use  of  super- 
fluous matter,  there  are  some  who  have  the  notion  that  the  important 
features  of  business  letters  are  usually  manifested  in  such  expressions  as, 
"Yours  received,"  "I  saw  your  ad.,"  "Gents,"  "Yours  respect.,"  "Rec'd 
yours  and  would  say,"  "Will  return,"  etc.  They  mistake  abbreviated 
words,  and  curt  and  uncouth  phrases  for  brevity. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  37 

It  is  not  sufl&cient  to  state  what  is  meant  in  a  bare,  disconnected 
fashion.  The  writer  must  be  stire  that  the  reader  will  understand  fully, 
and  for  that  purpose  he  must  add,  by  way  of  explanation,  illustration, 
or  expansion,  whatever  details  are  necessary  to  make  his  whole  meaning 
clear.  Of  course,  brief  letters  are  desirable,  when  they  are  in  order,  but 
clearness  must  not  be  sacrificed  for  brevity. 

The  writer  of  a  business  letter  should  have  a  clear  idea  of  what  he 
wants  to  say  and  then  express  it  in  the  simplest  and  most  direct  manner 
consistent  with  cotirtesy  and  grace.  While  there  should  not  be  the  con- 
ciseness that  lacks  precision,  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  there  should  not  be 
the  expansion  that  produces  confusion.  Not  only  superfluous  matter, 
such  as  unnecessary  words,  etc.,  but  statements  and  information  of  no 
interest  to  the  reader  should  be  avoided. 

The  extreme  brevity  in  the  following  letter  is  undesirable: 
Mr.  F.  O.  Gardiner,  July  27,    1912. 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Yours  at  hand.  Have  placed  amount  to  your  credit.  Will  expect 
bal.  in  30  days. 

Yours  resp., 

Geo.  W.  Collins. 

66.  Terseness,  while  it  implies  conciseness,  has  the  additional  quality 
of  grace  or  finish.     Compare  the  following  letter  with  the  foregoing : 

Mr.  F.  O.  Gardiner,  July  27,  1912. 

425  McAllister  St. 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Your  letter  of  July  24,  enclosing  check  No.  187  for  $224.50,  in  part 
payment  of  yotir  account  of  $424 .  50,  was  received.  This  amount  has  been 
placed  to  your  credit,  and  receipt  is  herewith  enclosed. 

I  thank  you  for  the  remittance,  and  trust  you  may  favor  me  with  the 
remainder  soon. 

Yours  truly, 

Geo.  W.  Collins. 

The  first  letter  conveys  nothing  definite  and  is  decidedly  lacking  in 
that  quality  of  the  business  letter  which  commands  respect.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  second  letter,  while  it  is  terse,  is  a  complete  record,  and 
if  read  years  after  by  any  one  it  would  be  clearly  understood. 

67.  You  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  A.  T.  Lee,  Boston,  Mass., 
asking  information  about  your  city,  the  country  surrounding  it,  the  climate, 
etc.     He  seeks  this  information  in  view  of  coming  to  your  place  to  estab- 


38  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

lish  himself  in  some  line  of  business,  and  to  make  a  home  for  his  family. 
Write  a  letter  giving  such  information  as  you  think  would  interest  him. 

X6^'  You  have  a  prospect  of  being  employed  in  the  estabHshment  of 
R.  V.  Dixon  &  Co.,  of  928  Montgomery  St.,  San  Francisco.  You  have  had 
an  inter^dew  with  these  gentlemen,  and,  being  asked  for  a  reference,  took 
the  liberty  of  giving  the  name  of  F.  E.  Madden,  of  618  Manila  St.,  Oakland, 
Cal.,  by  whom  you  were  formerly  employed  for  two  years.  Write  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Madden  stating  these  facts,  and  adding  that  you  trust  he  will  give 
a  favorable  report,  inasmuch  as  he  expressed  satisfaction  with  your  con- 
duct and  ability  while  in  his  employ. 


LESSON  18— Paragraphing 

69.  Paragraph  all  sentences  referring  to  the  same  topic.  When  a  new 
subject  is  introduced  the  mechanical  arrangement  of  the  letter  should 
prepare  the  reader  for  the  change.  Always  indent  the  first  word  of  each 
paragraph. 

It  is  very  important  that  the  several  topics  of  a  letter  should  be  in- 
troduced in  a  natural  order,  and  that  each  shotdd  be  completed  before 
another  is  taken  up.  Nothing  is  more  confusing  or  annoying  than  to  re- 
ceive a  letter  in  which  sentences  in  nowise  related  are  thrown  together 
at  random,  just  as  they  came  into  the  mind  of  the  writer,  and  with  no 
attempt  at  logical  arrangement.  However,  it  may  sometimes  be  advisable 
to  put  several  short  statements  which  concern  different  topics  into  one 
paragraph  rather  than  have  a  number  of  very  short  paragraphs  of  a  line 
or  a  part  of  a  line  each.  Care  and  common  sense  must  be  exercised  in 
paragraphing,  and  extremes  avoided. 

Study  the  method  of  paragraphing  in  the  following  letter: 
Dear  Mr.  Benson: 

You  believe  in  protecting  your  home  from  fire,  don't  you?  But 
how  about  protecting  it  from  the  other  elements? 

The  next  time  it  rains,  your  shingle  roof  may  leak,  your  ceilings  may 
"be  water  soaked,  and  some  of  the  choicest  and  most  valued  contents  of 
your  home  damaged  beyond  repair. 

Sooner  or  later,  shingles  are  bound  to  warp  and  curl,  pulling  out 
nails  and  allowing  the  rain  to  beat  in.  Furthermore,  they  rot  quickly 
when  shaded,  and  even  though  they  may  look  firm,  they  allow  the  water 
to  soak  through. 

But  it  isn't  necessary  for  you  to  run  this  risk.  For  at  no  more  than 
■what  ordinary  shingles  cost,  you  can  get  absolute  protection — in  Neponoid. 
Here  at  last  is  a  roofing  that  will  withstand,  year  in  and  year  out,  the  most 
severe  weather. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  39 

Neponoid  is  made  of  the  very  best  of  raw  materials.  It  is  laid  in  three 
layers  over  the  entire  surface.  Over  that  goes  a  red  coating  that  oxidizes 
after  a  short  exposure  and  makes  a  surface  solid  as  slate  and  absolutely 
unaffected  by  heat,  cold,  or  dampness. 

Just  sit  down  for  a  moment  and  figure  up  how  long  it  has  been  since 
your  roof  was  put  on.  Can  you  trust  longer  to  its  doubtful  protective 
qualities?  Neponoid  can  be  laid  right  over  the  old  roof,  as  the  booklet 
shows.     The  cost  includes  nails  and  cement — ^and  we  pay  the  freight. 

Simply  fill  in  the  dimensions  of  your  roof  on  the  enclosed  order  blank, 
sign  and  mail  to-day. 

Yours  very  truly, 

70.  In  the  foregoing  letter,  it  was  necessary  to  have  seven  paragraphs, 
I.  Necessity  of  protection,  2.  Inferior  roof  and  therefore  damage,  3.  In- 
ferior material,  4.  No  risk  with  Neponoid,  5.  What  it  is  and  how  used,  6. 
The  cost,  7.  Request  for  order. 

Exercise  19 

71.  Copy  the  following  letters,  arranging,  punctuating,  and  capitaliz- 
ing properly,  and  using  your  best  judgment  in  paragraphing: 

Enclose  in  envelopes  properly  directed. 

dear  mr  burke  you  wouldnt  think  of  throwing  away  your  fountain  pen  simply 
because  the  ink  is  exhausted  then  why  throw  away  your  duplicating  machine 
ribbons  we  can  reink  them  as  well  as  you  can  fill  your  fountain  p>en  if  you  will 
examine  one  of  your  apparently  worthless  ribbons  you  will  find  that  the  fabric  is 
scarcely  worn  at  all  we  take  these  treat  them  with  our  special  process  refill  them 
with  ink  and  return  them  to  you  practically  new  and  for  only  one  half  the  cost 
of  new  ribbons  read  the  enclosed  folder  it  explains  our  proposition  fully  but  a  trial 
will  convince  you  and  the  sooner  you  send  them  the  more  youll  save  why  not  pack  them 
up  put  on  the  enclosed  shipping  label  and  send  them  along  right  now  yours  very  truly, 

west  coast  business  college  delphos  California  feby  7  1912  hon  s  e  marlow  326  saunders 
st  manderel  texas  dear  sir  your  inquiries  in  letter  of  jan  10  as  to  the  standard  required 
for  graduation  of  pupils  by  this  college  and  the  probability  of  the  graduates  securing 
a  lucrative  position  are  both  timely  and  pertinent  it  has  been  almost  impossible  to 
impress  your  son  with  the  necessity  of  close  application  to  fit  him  for  a  position  it  is 
difficult  to  deal  with  a  young  man  or  woman  who  looks  at  things  from  a  childs  view 
point  in  order  to  be  graduated  by  this  college  in  stenography  it  is  required  of  a  pupil 
that  he  can  satisfy  the  faculty  of  the  following  facts  that  he  can  write  a  letter  in 
correct  english  spell  all  words  correctly  punctuate  properly  type  45  words  a  minute 
and  write  100  words  a  minute  of  new  matter  in  shorthand  for  conmiercial  work 
pupils  are  expected  to  have  the  same  knowledge  of  english  as  in  the  stenographic 
course  he  must  be  able  to  make  all  necessary  business  calculations  in  fractions  decimals 
percentage  interest  etc  he  must  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  debit  and  credit  as 
applied  to  all  forms  of  accounting  such  as  wholesaling  retailing  manufacturing  bank- 
ing etc  in  all  kinds  of  office  work  he  must  be  thorough  accurate  and  reasonably  rapid 
we  have  had  but  little  trouble  in  placing  all  our  graduates  in  lucrative  positions  we 


40  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

should  have  none  whatever  if  there  were  not  so  many  places  filled  by  incompetent 
persons  who  have  never  covered  any  complete  course  in  any  good  college  we  hope 
this  will  give  you  desired  information  and  secure  your  assistance  in  convincing  your 
son  that  this  is  not  a  place  of  amusement  but  a  workshop  where  he  may  receive  a 
training  for  a  successful  business  career  very  sincerely  yours  a  m  masters 

Box  482  san  francisco  cal  gentlemen  in  reply  to  your  advertisement  in  todays 
call  for  an  experienced  salesman  in  the  boot  and  shoe  line  i  wish  to  submit 
my  application  i  am  26  years  of  age  and  have  had  six  years  experience  as  a  salesman 
of  boots  and  shoes  i  am  at  present  with  the  firm  of  b  f  martin  &  co  425  mc  allister 
street  san  francisco  but  as  i  prefer  an  outside  position  i  am  desirous  of  making  a  change 
i  can  furnish  good  references  and  trust  that  i  may  be  granted  an  interview  enclosed 
find  testimonial  from  walker  &  bennett  2426  market  street  for  whom  i  traveled  for 
two  years  very  truly  charles  t  hobson  1  enc, 

LESSON  19-The  Preposition 

72.  A  Preposition  shows  the  relation  of  its  object  to  some  preceding 
word  to  which  that  object  refers. 

The  word  that  completes  the  relation  of  a  preposition  is  in  the  objec- 
tive case,  and  when  that  word  is  a  personal  or  relative  pronoun  it  must  have 
the  objective  form.     The  man  told  the  story  to  my  sister  and  me. 

Precision  and  elegance  in  language  are  very  largely  due  to  the  cor- 
rect use  of  prepositions.  Skill  in  the  use  of  prepositions  can  be  acquired 
only  by  close  observation  and  careful  practice. 

When  a  word  has  a  prefix,  it  should  be  followed  by  a  preposition  that 
means  the  same  as  the  prefix.  Com  means  with;  hence,  combat  with, 
compare  with,  comply  with.  De  means  from;  hence  deduct  from,  deduce 
from. 

Use  between  when  speaking  of  two  objects;  among  when  speaking  of 
more  than  two.     Between  John  and  James.     Among  the  children. 

Use  with  to  indicate  the  instrument,  and  by  the  actor;  as,  The  grain 
was  cut  by  the  farmer,  with  a  reaper. 

Use  in  when  speaking  of  a  large  city;  as,  Mr.  Bridges  lives  in  Oakland. 
Use  at  when  speaking  of  a  village  or  hotel ;  as  Mr.  Dixon  was  at  Com- 
ing last  week  and  put  up  at  the  Maywood  Inn. 

7  3.  A  careful  study  of  the  following  list  of  words  and  the  prepositions 
that  should  follow  them  will  be  found  helpful  in  choosing  the  correct  prep- 
osition : 

The  oration  abounda.tn  wit.  ■] 

Accommodated  by  a  friend,  with  a  loan. 
Accommodate  yourself  to  your  surroundings. 
Accused  by  a  person,  of  a  crime,  (j   '  -  '     \ 

Acquaintance  of  a.  person  with  another,  or  with  a  subject. 
Acquaintance  between  two  persons. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  41 

Agent  of  a  company  for  selling  goods. 
Alarm  in  the  village;  among  the  people;  at  the  news- 
Aliens  among  the  people;  to  our  laws;  in  our  country. 

Allegiance  of  t\ie  citizen;  to  the  country ;/r<?m  the  citizens;  to  the  laws. 

Acquitted  by  the  jury,  of  the  charge. 

Adapted /f>r  a  purpose;  to  a  calling; /ro»n  a  source. 

Adequate /or  a  purpose;  to  a  demand. 

Advantage  of  a.  circumstance;  advantage  over  an  opponent. 

Advocate  of  a  principle ;  advocate  for  a  person. 

Agree  with  a  person;  on  a  subject;  tn  his  views. 

Agree  between  or  among  ourselves;  agree  to  a  proposal. 

Allied  to  something  of  the  same  class;  vinth  a  friend  or  ally. 

Alliance  of  one  person  with  another,  for  a  purpose,  against  an  enemy. 

Anger  at  an  insult ;  toward  a  p>erson ;  angry  u/t^/t  a  person ;  a/  a  thing. 

Annovmce  by  telegraph,  to  a  person. 

Arrested  by  an  oflBcer,  on  suspicion,  for  a  crime,  upon  a  warrant,  in  executtoa. 

Ask  cf  or  from  a  person,  for  a  thing. 

Awkward  in  the  use  q/"  a  tool;  awkward  at  emplojnnent. 

Beat  into  insensibility,  ivith  a  stick. 

Bound  by  a  contract ;  bound  with  a  cord ;  bound  into  a  bundle ;  bound  over  to  court ; 
under  a  penalty. 

Careful  about  an  affair ;/<?r  the  future;  of  one's  money;  in  one's  habits  or  business. 

Cause  of  an  accident ;  cause  for  anger. 

Compare  this  apple  with  that ;  compare  the  brave  man  to  a  lion. 

Complain  of  or  against  a  person,  for  taking  a  book;  complain  to  a  teacher;  com- 
plain before  a  court;  in  a  newspaper;  about  the  violation  of  a  law. 

Converse  with  a  teacher  about  a  course  of  study.  , 

Die  of  a  disease;  with  a  comrade;  6y  accident; /or  a  friend. 

Differ  an/Zi  a  person  (friendly  contention) ; /rom  a  person  (in  anger). 

Friendship  between  or  among  friends;  of  one  for  or  toward  another. 

Give  to  a  person /or  a  cause. 

Help  against  an  enemy;  to  success;  with  money;  in  work. 

Injury  to  a  person;  through  negligence. 

Love  q/" one's  country ; /or  one's  friends  or  family;  to  or  toward  God. 

Neglect  of  duty,  by  a  person. 

Part /rom  a  frifflid;  part  -with  money. 

Patience  iwif/f  offenders;  in  sixffering,  under  aflSiction. 

Plead /or  an  offender;  with  an  officer;  plead  against  injustice;  to  an  indictment, 
at  a  bar;  before  a  judge;  in  court. 

Prejudice  against  a  |>erson;  in  one's  favor. 

Purchase  at  a  price  or  at  a.  sale;  of  ot  from  a  person;  /or  cash;  w»<A   money;  on 
a  note,  or  on  time. 

Recover /rom  an  illness;  damages /rom  or  of  a.  defendant. 

Speak  to  a  friend  of  an  event ;  on  a  subject. 

Exercise  20 

/if 4.  Select  the  right  preposition  in  the  following: 
1.  He  and  his  wife  quarreled  {among,  between)  themselves  and  {at,  with)  their 
aeighbors. 


42  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

2.  They  live  (in,  at)  Chicago  and  stayed  (at,  in)  the  St.  Marks  while  (in,  at) 
San   Francisco. 

3.  The  lake  abounds  (in,  with)  fish  and  they  can  easily  be  caught  (with,  by)  a 
hook  (with,  fej^)'  a  little  child. 

4.  He  was  accused  (by,  with)  an  officer  (with,  for,  of)  a  crime. 

■^5.  The  country  demands  allegiance  (by,  of,  from)  every  citizen  (to,  for)  the  laws.  / 
oT  The  money  sent  us  was  adequate  (to,  for)  the  purpose,  and  it  came  (from,  by) 
a  source  to  cause  us  to  be  grateful  (with,  to)  the  giver. 

7.  The  boy  was  accused  (with,  of)  a  crime  (by,  through)  the  officer. 

8.  He  was  awkward  (in,  at,  with)  the  punching  bag. 

9.  They  asked  (from,  of)  us  the  use  (for,  of)  the  bicycle. 

10.  The    fracas    (between,  among)  the  five  students  caused  them  to  be  arrested, 
and  each  (between,  among)  two  officers  they  were  marched  to  the  station  house. 

Exercise  21 — Choice  of  Words 

75.  In  the  following  sentences  choose  the  correct  word: 

1.  He  (addressed,  ^directed)  the  package  to  his  friend. 

2.  The  farmer  divided  his  property  (among,  between)  his  four  children. 

3.  It  is  not  (liable,  apt,  .likely)  to  occur  soon. 

4.  He  has  chosen  teaching  as  his  (avocation,  vocation). 

5.  The  (palance^f.emainder)  of  the  man's  money  was  in  the  bank. 

6.  I  am  (bound,  determined)  to  go. 

7.  Go  and  (fetch,  bring)  me  the  book. 

8.  (can,may)  I  borrow  your  pencil? 

9.  They  (calculate,  intend)  to  go  soon. 

10.  The  matter  is  of  no  (consequence,  importance). 

11.  I  did  not  do  well  as  I  am  but  a  (novice^  beginner ^  am,ateur). 

12.  You  dropped  your  purse,  (lady,  madam). 

13.  (A  majority,  most)  of  the  machines  were  new. 
/14.  We  met  a  (party,  person)  named  Wilson. 

'     15.  The  grocer  now  has  many  (patrons,  customers). 

16.  He  made  (statements,  assertions)  about  his  partner  which  were  untrue. 

17.  We  do  not  (consider,  think)  that  it  is  our  place  to  do  this. 

18.  I  (respectfully,  respectively)  decline  the  offer. 

19.  I  (expect,  suspect)  he  is  the  (party,  person)  that  stole  the  money. 

20.  He  has  (less,  fewer)  friends  than  I. 

76.  Lie  (intransitive)  means  to  rest,  to  recline.  Lay  (transitive) 
means  to  place  a  person  or  thing  in  position.  The  principal  forms  are: 
lie,  lies,  lay,  lays,  lam,  laid,  lying,  laying. 

1.  He  lies  (or  lay,  or  was  lying,  or  has  lain)  on  the  couch. 

2.  They  laid  (or  will  lay,  or  have  laid)  him  on  the  couch. 

3.  Set    (transitive).     Sit    (intransitive).     Rise    (intransitive).     Rats* 

(transitive).  ^^l^-^^o^^^  ^^-v^x-A^/f^  ^T 

Exercise  23    _,yL,-''-^ —        ^  .  ^ 

77.  Correct  the  following:  ^^^i^^c-x^^-C^—i.^^     -^ct^. -^^»a2?t^vn,« 

1.  The  book  lays  on  the  table.  --^^3^'^^tA^  --^1^    "y^'-'UScc^  ■'<'^^P^ 

2.  I  have  lain  the  book  on  the  table.  ^  _         ^  .  >  J-»  ^      • 

3.  It  has  laid  upon  the  table.  * — '<■^^A..,^^•^-^\y^<'^■.^^)''''^^■■^'^^^^,^  n    • 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  43 

4.  The  ship  lays  at  the  wharf. 

5.  The  old  lady  has  gone  to  lay  down. 

6.  The  check  is  laying  on  the  desk. 

7.  He  has  laid  there  all  day. 

8.  A  narrow  valley  lays  between  the  two  ridges. 

9.  Please  lie  that  book  on  the  desk. 

10.  He  was  lying  on  the  floor  of  the  hall. 

11.  I  saw  the  pencil  laying  on  the  desk. 

12.  The  money  was  laying  there. 

13.  The  poor  man  had  laid  in  bed  for  three  days. 

14.  I  found  my  hat  laying  on  the  floor. 

15.  He  should  lay  down  at  once. 

16.  The  child  was  laying  on  the  grass. 

17.  I  left  my  watch  laying  on  the  desk. 

18.  He  had  laid  there  for  two  days. 

19.  The  thief  ran  away,  but  the  detective  is  laying  for  him. 

20.  We  must  lay  low  if  we  would  capture  the  beast. 

21.  We  laid  down  to  rest. 

22.  He  has  laiS' there  a  long  time.  A-**T 

23.  She  lay  the  book  on  the  table  and  it  is  lajring  there  yet- 

24.  Now  I  {lie,  lay)  me  down  to  sleep. 

25.  I  {sat]  set)  mjrself  down  on  a  chair. 

26.  The  masons  are  {laving^  lying)  the  stone. 

27.  She  {sat,  set,  sit)  the  hen  and  she  s  {setting,  sitting)  {alr-^hi,  ail  right). 

28.  She  {laid,  lay)  in  bed  till  9  o'clock. 

29.  Fred  {lies,  lays)  on  the  sofa  most  of  the  time. 

30.  The  balloon  had  {rose,  risen)  before  I  came. 

31.  Will  the  fog  {rise,  raise)  when  the  sun  {sets,  sits)? 

32.  The  shower  has  {laid,(lain)  the  dust. 

33.  Where  have  you  been  {laying  J  lying)  so  long? 

34.  The  hen  has  {laid,  lain)  an  egg. 

35.  Has  she,  {set,  sat)  on  the  steps  long? 

36.  The  little  girl  is  {setting,  sitting)  the  table. 

37.  The  {setting,  sitting)  hen  is  away  from  her  nest. 

38.  She  can  {raise,  rise)  more  money  than  I. 

39.  The  river  {raised,  rose)  two  feet  last  night. 

40.  The  sun  had  {rose,  risen)  an  hour  ago. 

Exercise  23 — Homophonous  Words 

78.  In  the  following  sentences,  choose  the  correct  word. 

1.  He  gave  his  {assent,  ascent)  to  his  son's  marriage. 

2.  The  great  ship  sailed  {straight,  strait)  through  the  {strait,  straight). 

3.  We  are  going  for  a  trip  to  the  {beach,  beech). 

4.  The  buggy  soon  {past,  passed)  from  {sight,  site). 

5.  He  was  {formally,  formerly)  a  foreman  in  this  factory. 

6.  The  {patience,  patients)  were  all  frightened  at  the  fire  alarm. 
^.  The  legislature  is  now  in  {session)  cession). 

8.  It  was  very  {plane/plain)  that  he  did  not  buy  a  good(  plain^plane). 


44  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

9.  When  a  man  puts  (principal,  principle)  before  money,  he  should  be  com- 
mended. 

10.  I  must  have  some  (assistance,  assistants)  if  I  get  this  work  out  in  time. 

11.  He  has  never  been  able  to  (find,  fined)  his  watch. 
Q^  The  (attendance,  attendants)  was  very  large  this  year. 

13.  You  should  inform  yourself  about  (current,  currant)  events. 

14.  He  seemed  (bored,  board)  because  he  had  to  (sit,  set)  on  a  (board,  bored). 

15.  He  said  he  could  not  (except,  accept)  the  position. 

16.  The  (bridal,  bridle)  pair  seemed  much  annoyed. 

17.  He  was  found  (dying,  dyeing). 

^  The  (ejfect,  affect)  of  the  fire  was  very  noticeable. 

19.  The  ship  was  found  several  miles  off  its  (course,  coarse). 

20.  It  was  simply    a  matter  of  (pride,  pried)  with  him. 

21.  The  (minor,  miner)  was  killed  by  an  explosion. 
/^C2y  I  am  (confident,  confidant)  that  you  will  disappoint  me. 

23.  A  (piece,  peace)  of  the  bullet  was  found. 
<^.  The  (statue,  stature,' statute)  was  of  bronze. 

25.  They  decided  not  to  (alter,  altar)  the  building. 

26.  The  (calendar,  calender)  was  out  of  date. 

27.  He  bought  twenty  yards  of  (canvas,  canvass). 

28.  An  (impassible,  impassable)  barrier  was  found. 

29.  The  (desert,  dessert)  was  not  served  properly. 

30.  The  object  of  the  discussion  was  to  (elicit,  illicit)  the  truth. 

31.  He  was  (feared,  afraid)  it  would  establish  a  bad  (precedent,  president). 

32.  He  always  carried  everything  to  (access,  excess). 

©.  The  (affect,  effect)  of  the  earthquake  could  not  be  seen. 

34.  I  am  always  glad  to  receive  (advice,  advise). 

35.  His  excellent  conduct  was  a  (complement,  compliment)  to  his  fine  character. 

36.  The  (peddle,  pedal)  was  broken. 

j^.  The  enterprise  required  considerable  (capitaljitapitol) . 

38.  I  thought  their  (allegations,  alligations)  unreasonable. 

39.  The  (ceiling,  sealing)  was  not  very  high.  / 

40.  I  shall  be  (their [  there)  at  noon. 

\ 

LESSON  so—Some  Important  Things  About  Letter  Writing 

79.  In  arranging  the  matter  throughout  a  letter  take  pains  to  avoid 
extreme  compactness.  If  you  typewrite  a  full  sheet  with  lines  close 
together  the  matter  will  be  more  or  less  confusing  to  the  reader.  Double 
spacing  between  paragraphs  is  desirable,  especially  in  long  letters. 
Never  crowd  matter  at  bottom  of  sheet. 

When  commencing  a  second  sheet,  always  number  it.  If  the  letter 
is  directed  to  the  Phoenix  Hardware  Company  have  the  second  sheet  num- 
bered at  the  top  in  the  left  hand  corner,  as  follows:  P.  H.  Co.,  No.  2,  and 
so  on  numbering  consecutively  each  additional  sheet  in  the  same  manner. 

A  majority  of  our  best  letter  writers  have  the  initials  of  the  dicjtator 
and  of  the  stenographer  put  at  the  lower  left-hand  comer  of  tfa^ietter. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  45 

If  the  dictator's  name  is  L.  W.  Peart  and  the  stenographer's  name  is  Stella 
Swenson,  it  should  appear  as  follows:  LWP-SS.,  thus  causing  the  letter 
to  show  at  all  times  who  dictated  it  and  who  typed  it. 

All  letters,  if  possible,  should  have  a  personal  ring,  and  it  therefore 
stands  to  reason  that  the  word  deserving  of  considerable  prominence 
throughout  a  good  letter  is  you,  meaning  the  recipient  of  the  letter.  Be 
careful  to  avoid  the  repetition  of  we  and  /  in  your  letter,  as  they  are  gener- 
ally of  little  interest  to  the  reader.  His  concern  lies  in  what  you  can  do 
for  him. 

A  copy  should  be  kept  of  every  communication  that  leaves  the  office. 
Either  a  carbon  copy  may  be  made  at  the  time  the  letter  is  written  or  a 
letter-press  copy  should  be  made  from  the  sheet  after  it  is  signed. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  a  good  business  letter: 

Riverside,  Calif.,  July  5,   1912. 
Mr.  B.  F.  Martin, 

425  McAllister  St., 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Please  pardon  us  for  reminding  you  that  your  January  account  of 
$205.00  has  not  yet  been  paid.  We  regret  having  to  call  your  attention 
to  this,  but  receiving  no  explanation  from  you  as  to  the  cause  of  the  delay, 
and  having  heavy  obligations  to  meet  during  the  coming  month,  we  hope 
you  can  favor  us  with  a  remittance  at  this  time. 

Owing  to  a  change  in  our  business  we  find  it  necessary  to  increase 
our  working  capital.  This  makes  it  necessary  for  us  to  request  our  cus- 
tomers to  settle  at  once  all  overdue  accounts. 

We  trust  that  our  pleasant  relations  will  in  no  way  be  changed  by 
this  request  and  believe  that  we  can  depend  upon  you  to  send  us  your  check 
in  settlement. 

Yours  sincerely, 
ALL-DJ  A.  L.  Lesseman. 

80.  If  you  were  Mr.  Martin  and  had  received  the  above  letter,  wouldn't 
you  feel  like  paying  the  amount  if  you  possibly  could?  The  letter  is  fair, 
friendly  and  courteous,  and  therefore  deserving  of  your  careful  attention. 
Assume  that  you  are  Mr.  Martin  and  write  to  Mr.  Lesseman,  enclosing  your 
certified  check  for  the  amount  due.  Explain  why  you  did  not  pay  the 
amount  sooner.  Possibly  the  bookkeeper  was  careless  and  neglected  it. 
See  if  you  can  think  of  some  legitimate  excuse  for  not  having  paid  it. 
Make  out  the  check,  using  the  form  on  page  65  as  a  model,  and  have  it 
certified  at  the  College  National  Bank. 


46  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

LESSON  21— Correspondence  Granting  Fayors- 

Santa  Cruz,  Cal.,  Aug.  29,  1912. 
Mr.  R.  H.  Hankins, 

Fresno,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Enclosed  find  check  No.  185  for  $78.50  to  apply  on  my  account  of 
$178.50,     I  had  hoped  to  send  you  the  full  amount  at  this  time,  but  cir- 
cumstances prevent  my  doing  so.     If  you  can  see  your  way  clear  to  grant 
me  an  extension  of  thirty  days  on  the  remainder,  I  shall  appreciate  it. 
Kindly  send  receipt  for  the  amount  enclosed. 

Yours  sincerely, 
DCA-RS— (i  enc.)  D.  C.  Ahlers. 

81.  Assume  that  you  are  Mr.  R.  H.  Hankins,  and  that  you  received 
the  above  letter.  Mr.  Ahlers  has  shown  his  good  intentions  by  paying  a 
part  of  his  account,  therefore  you  can  hardly  refuse  him  the  extension  of 
time  asked  for.  Write  a  suitable  answer  to  the  letter  enclosing  a  receipt 
for  the  $78.50. 

82.  Write  answers  to  the  following  questions  and  submit  them  to 
your  teacher: 

1.  Which  is  correct,  Messrs.  Wilson  and  Sumpter,  meaning  a  firm 
name,  or  Messrs  Wilson  &  Sumpter  1  Should  the  sign  (5*.  ever  be  used  to 
connect  parts  of  a  sentence? 

2.  Is  this  correct,  Wilson  &  Sumpter  were  members  of  the  committee? 
Why  not? 

3.  Should  the  width  of  the  margin  depend  upon  the  length  of  a  letter? 

4.  How  much  margin  would  you  judge  to  be  right  in  typing  a  letter 
of  say,  100  words  on  a  regvilar  letter  head?  ,.      -v^.<5.^Y>^'^  \ 

5.  What  is  the  difference  in  meaning  between  wc^05^  and  enclose', 
indorse  and  endorse} 

6.  Is  it  good  business  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  an  order  for  goods? 

Why?  /-.^''. 

7.  Why  is  it  not  proper  to  sayi  K  will)be  pleased? 

8.  When  a  married  woman  write^  to  a  stranger,  how  should  she  indi- 
cate whether  she  is  married  or  single.  ^         '  ■^' 

9.  Tell  how  you  would  divide  the  following  words:  other,  restrictive, 
whether,  indicate,  shortened,  period,  insurance,  temporary. 

10.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  give  all  details  in  regard  to  an  order  when 

writing  to  inquire  about  it? 

— — — Exercise  34. 

83.  Words  should  be  used  in  accordance  with  their  established  mean- 
ing.    Correct  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences: 


Ejfectwe  English  and  Letter  Writing  47 

1.  It  is  an  awful  nice  day. 

2.  I  am  migh^  glad  he  lias  come. 

3.  This  is  a  splendid  cup  of  coffee. 

4.  I  am  in  a  terrible  hurry.  I  ■ 

5.  I  disremember  who  was  chairman.  '^       '  .^^^^  ■ 

6.  The  music  was  splendid  and  the  supper  was  immense.  —  /v'^vvT^.^ 

7.  He  has  a  good  character  in  that  neighborhood-  "^ 

8.  He  asked  for  a  raise  in  salary,     v  . 

9.  He  gave  a  good  recommend. 

;^10.  They  formed  a  combine  last  month. 

11.  He  sent  me  an  invite  to  the  party. 

12.  They  make  a  deal  with  our  £11% 

13.  He  learned  me  to  write.  ^  • 

14.  Onions  are  said  to  be  health^  food. 

15.  I  shall  try  and  do  what  you  say. 

16.  I  sent  you  a  p>ostal.  ^  -. 

17.  We  saw  a  couple  of  men  on  the  sidewalk. 

18.  We  have  every  confidence  in  the  man. 

19.  He  agreed  to  foot  the  bill.  y^  ^^  ^-^    ^      ^ /t/t 
^^  The  days  are  growing  shorter.  /^/^  J^Cy^J^    /t*J(A^^^^]     * 

LESSON  22— Letters  Ordering  Goods 

B.  A.  Student  &  Co.,  Reno,  Nevada,  August  27,  1912. 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Gentlemen : 

Please  ship  to  us  by  freight  the  following: 
600  lbs.  Bacon. 
300  lbs.  Santa  Clara  Prunes. 
20c  lbs.  Navy  Beans. 
200  lbs.  Evaporated  Apples. 
150  sks.  Oregon  Burbanks. 
Please  get  shipment  started  as  soon  as  possible,  billing  as  usual. 

Yours  truly, 

L.  P.  Sullivan  &  Co. 
Per  J. 

84.  You  are  bookkeeper  and  correspondent  for  B.A.  Student  &  Co. 
Write  a  letter  to  L.  P.  Sullivan  &  Co.,  acknowledging  receipt  of  the  above 
order  and  enclose  an  invoice  (or  bill)  of  the  goods.  Consult  the  daily 
market  report  for  prices.  Your  regular  terms  to  this  firm  are  20%  and 
5%  in  60  days. 

85.  Write  answers  to  the  following  questions  and  submit  to  your 
teacher : 

I .  Why  is  the  order  for  goods  arranged  as  it  is  in  the  foregoing 
letter? 


48  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

2.  What  is  most  necessary  when  giving  an  order  for  goods? 

3.  What  should  be  said  about  payment? 

4.  What  shoiild  be  said  about  shipment? 

5.  Why  is  the  colon  (:)  used  after  "the  following?" 

6.  Where  do  you  place  a  money  order  or  check  when  enclosing  it  ia 
a  letter? 

7.  What  is  the  principal  objection  to  sending  a  private  check  to  a 
person  in  a  city  where  the  maker  is  unknown? 

8.  Do  you  use  the  salutation  "Dear  Sirs?" 

9.  Why  should  letters  not  be  signed  on  the  typewriter? 

10.  In  transcribing  from  shorthand  notes  should  you  try  to  have  the 
transcription  make  sense  or  should  you  write  it  just  as  you  read  it? 

LESSON  23-Properties  of  the  Noun 

86.  Nouns  are  classified  as  Masculine,  Feminine,  or  Neuter,  as  they 
indicate  males,  females,  or  objects  whose  sex  is  unknown  or  disregarded. 

A  knowledge  of  Gender  is  important  to  the  extent  that  it  involves  a 
knowledge  of  the  correct  use  of  the  pronouns    he,  she,  and  it. 
Example:  Every  pupil  must  carefully  prepare  his  lesson. 
Nouns  in  the  singular  number,  representing  individuals   whose  sex 
can  not  be  determined  from  the  word  are  represented  by  the  masculine,  he. 
Nouns  denoting  strength,  power,  sublimity,  etc.,  when  personified, 
are  represented  by  the  pronouns  he,  his,  or  him. 

Nouns  denoting  gentleness,  beauty,  grace,  peace,  etc.,  when  personi- 
fied, are  represented  by  the  pronouns  she,  her,  or  hers. 

Truth,   crushed  to  earth,  shall  rise  again. 

The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
While    error,    wounded,    writhes    in    pain 
And   dies   amidst   his   worshipers. 
Nouns  denoting  objects  without  sex,  names  of  animals  whose  sex  is 
disregarded,  and  collective  nouns  of  unity  are  represented  by  the  pro- 
noun it. 

87.  Nouns, are  classified  as  First  person.  Second  person,  and  Third 
person,  according  as  they  represent  the  person  speaking,  spoken  to,  or 
spoken  of;  as.  We  gtrls  will  go.  I,  John,  will  do  it.  Girls  and  John  first 
person.  (A  proper  noun  in  the  first  person  is  always  set  off  by  the  comma) . 
Will  you  boys  be  quiet?  Boys  second  person.  Nouns  naming  things 
spoken  of  are  in  the  third  person;  as,  Abraham  Lincoln  freed  the  slaves. 

88.  Nouns  have,  with  few  exceptions,  two  number  forms,  the  Singular 
and  the  Plural. 


Effective  English'  and  Letter  Writing  49 

/'' Notins  that   denote  but    one   object  are    singular;  more    than  one, 
plural. 

Most  nouns  form  their  plural  by  affixing  5  or  es  to  the  singular;  as, 
horse,  horses;  witch,  witches. 

The  following  nouns  (coiint  them)  form  their  plurals  by  a  change  of 
the  word  itself :  Ox,  oxen;  child,  children;  brother,  brethren  (of  a  society) ; 
cow,  kine  (in  poetry) ;  man,  men;  foot,  feet;  tooth,  teeth ;  mouse,  mice;  goose, 
geese;  woman,  women;  louse,  lice. 

Eleven  words  ending  in  /  and  three  in  fe  change  the  f  or  fe  to  ves. 
They  are:  Beef,  elf,  leaf,  self,  shelf,  sheaf,  loaf,  calf,  wolf,  half,  thief,  kwife, 
wife,  life.     Write  their  plurals. 

The  plurals  of  all  other  nouns  ending  in  /  or  fe  are  formed  regularly 
by  adding  s. 

All  common  nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  vowel  form  their  plurals 
regularly  by  adding  s ;  as,  boy,  boys. 

All  common  nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  consonant  drop  y  and 
add  ies;  as  daisy,  daisies;  colloquy,  colloquies  (u  after  q  is  a  consonant). 

Names  of  persons  add  s  only;  as,  the  two  Henrys. 

Nouns  ending  in  o  preceded  by  a  vowel  add  5  only;  as  cameo,  cameos. 

All  musical  terms  ending  in  o  add  s  only;  as,  banjo,  banjos. 

Nearly  all  nouns  ending  in  o  preceded  by  a  consonant  add  es;  as, 
negro,  negroes. 

Exercise  35 

89.  Write  the  plurals  of  the  following: 

Journey,  city,  alley,  joy,  liberty,  ally,  fly,  Mary,  broncho,  buffalo, 
hero,  motto,  alto,  solo,  domino,  mulatto,  grotto,  soprano,  zero,  canto, 
arm,  half,  puppy,  cargo,  radius,  ratio,  fairy,  fife,  mouse,  charity, 
chimney,  chief,  key,  watch,  attorney,  echo,  turkey,  rr  ney,  lasso,  tor- 
nado, chair,  tray,  buoy,  essay. 

90.  Letters,  signs,  and  figures  are  made  plural  by  adding  the  apostrophe 
and  s;  as,  t's,  Ys,  5*5. 

Compound  nouns  usually  form  the  plural  by  adding  5  to  the  principal 
part  of  the  compounds;  as  fathers-in-law. 

A  few  compounds  have  both  parts  made  plural;  as,  man-child,  men- 
children;  man-servant,  men-servants. 

Some  noims  are  always  singular  both  in  form  and  meaning;  as,  wisdom, 
music,  courage,  gold,  platinum,  patience,  pride.  Others  are  generally  singu- 
lar; as,  rhetoric,  lead,  copper,  wine,  sugar,  rye,  wheat. 

Some  are  plural  in  form  but  singular  in  meaning;  as,  news,  pains, 
(care),  amends,  measles,  gallows,  and  all  nouns  ending  in  ics  except  athletics. 

Some  nouns  are  always  plural  both  in  form  and  meaning;  as,  Umgs, 


5©  Effective  English  mid  Letter  Writing 

thanks,  pincers,  mumps,  seeds,  tidings,  riches,  trousers,  ashes,  goods,  scissors^ 
bitters,  victuals,  vitals. 

'    -     -      .  Exercise  36 

91.  Write  the  following  nouns  in  a  column,  then  beside  them  in 
another  column  write  the  plurals  of  those  that  have  a  plural  form. 

Chair,  fife,  class,  inch,  pass,  table,  dish,  salmon,  shelf,  wife,  frame, 
draft,  dash,  wrench,  cashier,  window,  sky,  alley,  grass,  enemy,  towel,  hose, 
hoe,  roof,  heathen,  boy,  soprano,  neighbor,  ship,  mumps,  shoe,  loaf,  girl, 
sheaf,  tax,  cargo,  tomato,  theory,  molasses,  chimney,  handful,  wages, 
artery,  spoonful,  woman-servant,  son-in-law,  t,  7,  cupful,  veto,  alto, 
Mexican,   Frenchman,  German,  victuals,  measles.  Miss  Allen. 

LESSON  24— Possessiye  Forms  of  the  Noun 

93.  A  knowledge  of  Case  as  applied  to  nouns  is  important  only  in  the 
use  of  the  posessive  sign. 

The  possessive  Case  of  most  nouns  is  formed  by  adding  an  apostrophe 
(')  and  5. 

If,  however,  the  noun  ends  in  s  the  apostrophe  only  may  be  used. 
The  apostrophe  follows  the  last  letter  of  the  word  in  all  cases,  and  s  follows 
the  apostrophe ;  as  boy's,  boys' ,  man's,  men's.  In  writing  the  plural  possessive 
first  write  the  plural  form  then  attach  the  sign. 

In  general,  only  nouns  representing  animate  or  living  objects  have 
the  sign  attached.  However,  when  euphony  demands  it,  the  sign  may  be 
used  with  inanimate  objects;  as,  "Night's  shadow  falls  athwart  otir  path- 
way." Also  in  using  nouns  referring  to  time  as,  a  day's  wages,  today's  papers. 

Possession  may  be  denoted  by  a  prepositional  construction:  as. 
The  leg  of  the  chair  was  broken.     (Not  chair's  leg). 

When  two  or  more  nouns  indicate  joint  possession  of  some  object, 
the  sign  is  attached  to  the  last  word  only:  as,  Morgan,  Beaty  &  Brown's 
Banking  House.  If,  however,  the  object  is  not  possessed  in  common  the 
sign  is  attached  to  each ;  as.  Grant's  and  Lee's  armies  met  at  Appomattox. 

Write  the  singular  possessive  and  the  plural  possessive  of  the  fol- 
lowing words: 

Girl,  wife,  child,  deputy,  soprano,  ox.  Englishman,  German,  son-in- 
law,   boy,   tailor,   ally.    Miss  Allen,    Mr.   Barnes,   doctor,    mouse,    fairy. 

(German,  Ottoman,  Tukoman,  talisman,  Mussulman,  and  some 
others  are  not  compounds  of  man;  they  form  their  plurals  with  s). 

Insert  the  apostrophe  in  the  proper  place  in  the  following: 

That  girls  books.  Those  girls  books.  Those  childrens  eyesight. 
My  only  sons  daughters  husband.  These  witnesses  testimony.  That 
witness  statement.     A  mans  enemies. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  51 

Supply  possessive  sign:  Mason  and  Dixon  line.  Jefferson  and 
Roosevelts  administration.     Mens  and  boys  clothing.     Orr  &  Co.s  store. 

In  an  expression  consisting  of  a  noun  and  explanatory  words 
the  sign  is  attached  to  the  word  immediately  preceding  the  object  pos- 
sessed; as,  Tiffany,  the  jeweler's  store.     At  Tiffany's  store,  the  jeweler. 

Exercise  27 

93.  Write  the  following  nouns  in  a  column.then  beside  them  in  another 
column,  write  the  pltirals  of  those  that  have  a  plural  form.  Write  in 
other  columns  the  singular  possessive  and  the  plural  possessive  of  those 
words  that  can  be  made  to  show  possession  by  use  of  the  sign. 

Chair,  fife,  class,  inch,  pass,  table,  dish,  salmon,  shelf,  wife,  frame,  draft,  dash, 
wrench,  cashier,  window,  shy,  alley,  ally,  deputy,  toy,  woman,  grass,  enemy,  towel, 
hose,  roof,  heathen,  bay,  soprano,  neighbor,  ship,  mumps,  shoe,  loaf,  girl,  sheaf,  tax, 
cargo,  tomato,  theory,  molasses,  chimney,  handful,  wages,  artery,  spoonful,  veto, 
Mexican,  victuals,  measles.  Miss  Allen. 

Exercise  28 — Possessive  and  Gender  Forms 

94.  Write  in  correct  form  and  be  prepared  to  tell  why  the  following 
are  incorrect :  ^  f2^ i/vZU      ^    ;    .  . 

1.  We  could  see  the  precipice's  edge.  '    "  "' ' 

2.  I  did  not  know  the  book  was  your'S. 

3.  Both  Lee  and  Grant's  armys  were  large. 

4.  The  child  took  it's  nap  in  the  afternoon. 

5.  The  desk's  top  had  been  cut  by  a  careless  boy. 

6.  The  pencil's  point  was  blunt. 

7.  This  is  your's  but  our's  ife  yet  to  come. 

8.  We  do  not  like  their's. 

9.  This  is  John's  my  schoolmate's  books. 

10.  His  writing  is  bad,  but  its  much  better  than  her's. 

11.  They  sell  women's  and  men's  coats. 

12.  He  asked  for  two  day's  pay. 

13.  The  ship's  crew  were  starving. 

14.  The  lady's  gloves  were  returned  to  her./ 

15.  The  ladle's  bonnets  were  alike. 

16.  Another  day's  work  is  done. 

17.  The  soldiers'  arm  was  broken. 

18.  Six  month's  interest  is  due. 

19.  He  would  not  take  his  fathers'  advice. 

20.  Todays  paper  is  just  out. 

21    Have  you  read  Keats  poems. 

22-  The  clerks  salaries  have  been  paid. 

23.  Boys  hats  are  sold  here. 

24.  Henrys  slate  was  broken. 

25.  The  chair's  leg  was  broken. 


52  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Exercise  <s9 

95  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  using  the  possessive  sign  with  the 
words  requiring  it: 

1.  Are  you  reading  Johns  book? 

2.  1  have  just  bought  a  new  set  of  Dickens'woiks. 

3.  Here  is  the  payment  for  the  first  months  lent. 

4.  I  took  a  four  years  'course  at  Harvard, 

5.  We  are  sure  the  doctors  advice  is  good. 

6.  The  goods  came  from  Taft  &  Pennoyers'  store. 

7.  Mens,  youths,  and  boys  clothing  for  sale  here. 

8.  The  witness  testimony  was  not  true. 

9.  The  boys  hat  was  lost. 

10.  The  Teachers  Journal  is  published  here. 

1 1.  The  presidents  message  was  published. 

12.  The  judges  decision  was  not  satisfactory. 

13.  I  have  had  two  years  experience. 

14.  She  had  paid  for  eight  months  tuition. 

15.  A  years'  time  has  gone. 

16.  Has  your  weeks  wages  been  earned? 

17.  Please  send  me  twenty-five  Robinsons' arithmetics. 

18.  The  mans  money  was  gone. 

19.  The  secretary's  books  were  examined. 

20.  Thi?  womans  club  meets  tonight. 

96.  "When  the  present  participle  is  used  as  a  noun  and  is  preceded  by 
a  noun  or  pronoun^;  that  noun  or  pronoun  usually  takes  the  possessive  form ; 
as,  I  had  not  heard  of  his  and  his  brother's  tramping  across  the  continent. 
I  was^  not  sure  of  his  having  gone  away. 

If,  however,  the  sense  of  the  sentence  refers  to  the  individual  rather 
than  his  action^  the  objective  form  is  used;  as,  Whoever  heard  of  a  fat  man 
heading  a  riot?    Who  would  ever  have  thought  of  him  becoming  a  fgrger? 

In  the  last  two  sentences,  the  participle  is  used  as  an  adjective. 

Exercise  30 

97.  Correct  the  following  sentences  and  point  out  the  participles: 

1.  I  am  opposed  to  your  going. 

2.  They  heard  of  him  haying  gone.  ^  \ 

3.  I  heard  of  you  and  yourlbrother/being'iH/ 

4.  He  did  not  know  of  me  b^ing  there.  '     l\-.^ 

5.  She  told  me  about  Mr.  Sim  peon  g'oing  away. 

6.  The  train  being  late  was  a  disappointment. 
'(.  He  told  us  about  the,jcar  being  oS.  the  t^ack. 

8.  I  did  not  know  of ^  him  looking  so  badly. 

9.  There  is  no  necessity  for  the  firm  going  in  debt 

10.  The  president  failing  to  come  caused  the  delay. 

1 1.  I  did  not  object  to  him  helping  me 

12.  He  had  no  knowledge  of  his  wife  being  ther«j. 

13.  They  have  hope  of  John  being  elected  sheriflF- 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  53 

14.  Instead  of  the  man  coining  quickly,  he  loitered  on  the  way. 

15.  The  reason  for  us  going  to  Florida  was  generally  understood. 

16.  It  was  him  having  gone  away  so  suddenly  that  distressed  her. 

17.  She  thought  it  was  the  steamer  rolling  and  pitching    that  made  bet  seasick. 

18.  What  is  your  opinion  of  me  becoming  an  ai'chitect? 

19.  The  family  were  greatly  opposed  to  him  becoming  an  actor. 

20.  What  troubled  him  mostly  was  the  boy  Ijong  to  him. 

21.  I  depend  upon  you  keeping  your  promise. 

22.  I  am  surprised  at  it  costing  so  much  money. 

23.  A  person's  success  depends,  to  a  large  extent,  upon  him  keeping  at  work^  v 

24.  Do  you  approve  of  us  going  into  the  grocery  business?  J  W    /^  A  a 

25.  What  do  you  think  of  me  turning  over  a  new  leaf?        T  '!"1 'l."tjyN-  .."  ^T^'^-^i'''^ 

98.  Do  not  place  any  word  or  words  between  the  parts  of  an  infinitive. 

Exercise  31 

99.  Correct  the  following: 

/l.  He  was  able  to  beautifully  write  a  letter. 

2.  She  had  just  begun  to  carefully  study  her  lesson . 

3.  I  desire  you  to-kiEt^y:.send  me  a  new  writing  desk. 

^.  One  must  xinderstand  the  forms  of  a  language  in  order  to  properly  speak  it 

5.  I  am  prepared  to  promptly  serve  you. 

6.  Do  you  expect  to  always  have  your  own  way? 

7.  We  were  told  to  go  quietly  through  the  house. 

8.  The  teacher  asked  us  to  quickly  respond  when  called  upon. 

9.  He  was  told  to  immediately  leave  the  room. 

10.  It  will  be  my  duty  to  faithfully  record  these  events. 

LESSON  25— Prononns  Refiewed 

100.  A  Pronoun  (pro.  for)  is  a  word  that  stands  for  a  noun,  and  is 
used  to  avoid  an  awkward  repetition  of  that  noun.)  John  struck  John. 
John  struck  himself.  Pronoxins  may  be  divided  into  four  classes:  Personal, 
Relative,  Interrogative,  and  Adjective  Pronouns. 

A  Personal  Pronoun  is  one  whose  form  indicates  the  person  speakingly 
as.  We  will  go;  the  peii-son  spoken  to;  as,  You  must  study  diligently;  the 
person  or  thing  spoken)  of ;  as.  He  is  honest. 

The  simple  personal  pronoims  of  the  first  person,  singular  number, 
are:  /,  me,  mine;  plural  number,  we,  us,  our,  ours;  second  person  alike  in 
both  numbers ;  third  person,  singular  mmiber,  he,  him,  his,  she,  her,  hers,  it 
its;  plural,  they,  them,  their,  theirs. 

101.  Most  of  these  pronouns,  and  also  the  relative  who,  have  a  dis- 
tinct form  to  indicate  the  case  relation  in  the  sentence,) 

The  forms,  /,  we,  he,  she,  they  and  who,  are  used  only  in  the  nomina- 
tive relation  as  subjects  or  attributes,  never  to  complete  the  objective 
relation  of  transitive  verbs  or  prepositions. 

The  forms,  W,  m5,  Aim,  her,  them,  and  whom,  are  used  only  in  the 


54  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

objective  relation  to  complete  the  meaning  of  transitive  verbs  (includ- 
ing infinitives  and  participles)  and  prepositions. 

A  pronoun  must  be  of  the  same  person,  gender,  and  number,  as  the 
noun  (antecedent)  for  which  it  stands.  AXmaw'shows  his  character  by 
his  actions. 

When  a  pronoun  refers  to  two  or  more  words  taken  together,  the 
plural  form  of  the  pronoun  should  be  used;  as,  My  son  and  his  friend  have 
done  their  duty.  If  the  words  referrred  to  by  the  pronoun  are  of  different 
persons,  the  first  person  is  preferred  to  the  second  or  third,  and  the  second 
person  to  the  third;  as,  John,  you  and  /  will  do  our  duty.  John  and  you 
must  do  your  duty.     Either  you  or  /  anj,  wanted. 

Pronouns  follow  practically  the  same  rule  in  agreement  with  antece- 
dents that  the  verb  does  in  relation  to  subjects  or  subject;  as.  Each  of  us 
has  forfeited  his  inheritance.  The  antecedent  of  his  is  each,  not  us,  just 
as  the  subject  of  has  forfeited  is  each  not  us. 

102.  Compound  Personal  Pronouns  are  formed  by  adding  self  to  the 
singular  and  selves  to  the  plural  form  of  the  pronoun ;  himself,  themselves,  never 
hisself,  theirselves.  /li  the  antecedent  is  of  indeterminate  gender,  singular 
number,  the  masculine  third  singular  pronoun  is  used  to  represent  it; 
Every  student  must  prepare  his  lesson,   i 

Exercise  33 

103.  In  the  following  sentences  supply  the  correct  personal  pronouns: 

1.  A  person's  success  in  life  depends   on-^-^ — -r  exertions;  if aims  at  nothing 

— will  achieve  nothing. 

2.  ^ach'of  us  should  do  as  '• — '■ —  would  be  done  by. 

3.  Let  every  boy  answer  for 

4.  Each  of  us  has  lost  ""^^^ •  hat.  ^ 

5.  You  and  John  should  take  care  of health. 

6.  I  am  the  man  who  told  you  '•  ^  '  /  story.       ^  . 

7.  Not  one  of  you  saw  — -^  "mistake.         '-r^ 

8.  A  teacher  should  consult  the  interest  of '•^:^ — ^'pupils. 

9.  whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth. 

10.  John  or  James  will  favor  us  with  — ^ —  company. 

11.  One  or  the  other  of  us  must  relinquish claim. 

12.  Each  must  answer  for . 

13.  Each  one  of  them  /expressed opinion  volubly. 

14.  Each  of  the  boys  cheerfully  does  — — —  part  of  the  work. 

15.  The  boy,  and  not  his  father,  broke  - — -  arm. 

16.  Neither  of  the  boys  saved  •  ■'■'  ■   money. 

17.  Neither  of  the  boys  is  willing  to  apologize  for rudeness. 

18.  The  cabinet  seemed  to  be  divided  in sentiments. 

I9'i  The  committee  will  soon  sujamit  ^-^*'  report. 

20.  The  jury  has  agreed  upon  <— *-^  verdict.'  ^ 

21.  Each  of  them  in '--  turn  will  receive  the  reward  to  which  he  is  entitled. 


///      104. 


Ejfective  English  and  Letter  Writing  55 

LESSON  26— Kelatire  rronouns 


A  Relative  Pronoun  is  a  word  that  stands  for  a  noun,  and  in- 
(Z^     /troduces  a  clause,  or  connects  clauses.     They  are  sometimes  called  con- 
nective pronouns. 

The  simple  relatives  are  who,  which,  what,  that,  and  as. 

That  is  a  relative  when  who  or  which  may  be  substituted  for  it  in  the 
construction;  as  is  a  relative  when  it  is  used  after  such,  many,  and  same. 

Who  is  appUed  to  persons;  as,  The  man  who  learned.  Which  is  ap- 
plied to  animals  and  things;  as,  This  is  the  book  which  was  spoiled.  What 
may  be  resolved  into  that  which  or  thing  which;  as,  This  is  what  he  asked 
for,  the  thing  which  he  asked  for. 

The  relative  pronotin  is  of  the  same  person,  gender,  and  number  as  the 
noun  it  stands  for,  but  its  case  depends  upon  its  relation  to  other  words 
in  the  sentence;  as.  We  found  the  boys  who  were  lost.  Boys  is  in  the  objec- 
tive case,  while  who  is  in  the  nominative  case,  and  both  are  third  person, 
plural  number,  masculine  gender. 

That,  as  a  relative,  should  be  used  when  there  is  a  joint  reference  to 
persons  and  things;  as.  The  boy  and  dog  that  were  lost  have  been  found. 
After  an  adjective  in  the  superlative  degree;  as.  This  is  the  sweetest  apple 
that  I  ever  tasted.  After  the  words,  very,  same,  and  all,  and  after  the 
interrogative  who;  as.  Who  that  knew  him  could  behave  the  story?  That 
should  also  be  used  to  introduce  a  restrictive  clause,  one  necessary  to  make 
the  meaning  clear;  as,  The  soldiers  that  were  wounded  were  left  on  the  field. 

Who  and  which  are  used  before  clauses  that  add  some  thoughts  not 
absolutely  necessary  to  the  meaning;  as,  My  father,  who  is  in  good  health, 
is  sixty  years  old. 

105.  Many  errors  arise  from  an  incorrect  use  of  the  relative  pronoun. 
Study  carefully  the  foregoing,  and  render  the  following  sentences  cor- 
rect, and  diagram  them: 

Exercise  33 

1.  He  is  a  man  (who\  whom)  loves  the  truth. 

2.  He  is  the  man  {who\  whom)  I  love,. ^« 

3.  He  knows  (who,  whom)  we  mean. 

5.  I  wonder  {who,  whom)  he  thinks  we  are. 

6.  This  is  a  young  lady  (who,  whom)  I  think  is  competent. 

7.  This  is  a  young  man  (who,  whom)  I  believe  to  be  qualified  for  the  position. 

8.  Do  you  know  (who,  whom)  it  is? 

9.  (Who,  whom)  did  you  invite? 

10.  He  is  the  man  to  (who,  whom)  I  refer. 

11.  I  wonder  (who,  whom)  will  be  chosen. 

12.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  take  him  to  be? 

13.  If  I  cannot  believe  him  (who,  whom)  can  I  believe? 


/lO^. 


56  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

14.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  think  went  with  us?  /       fyl''^'^^-^\J>^    * 

15.  We  have  full  information  as  to  {who,  whom)  he  is.    '    >  ^   ' 

16.  The  man  and  his  horse  (who,  whom,,  that)  went  down  with  the  bridge  hav« 
beea  rescued. 

17.  The  man  (who,  that)  does  wrong  through  fear  of  public  opinion  is  a  cowafxL 

18.  The  black  horse  (which'fthat)  is  ten  years  old  won  the  race.  J— >7      %—-> 

19.  He  is  the  bravest  man  (who,  whom,  that)  I  ever  saw.  v^y  OS''       ^  * 

20.  He  is  the  same  man  (who,  whom,  that)  we  met  on  the  bridge. 

21.  This  is  the  very  man  (who,  whom,  that)  the  policeman  arrested  yesterday. 

22.  That  is  the  man  and  the  boat  (which,  tthai)  went  over  the  falls. 

23.  The  lady  and  the  lapdog  (that,  whic}t)  we  saw  at  the  window,  (haxf«,  Aas) 
disappeared. 

24.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  think  I  am  ? 

25.  A  lady  [who,  whom)  I  expected  to  meet  here  has  not  come. 

26.  He  is  a  man  (who,  whom)  I  think  is  all  right.  / 
\1^7.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  say  thatX-am'  _         ^^^y^     IT)' 

XESSON  2  7— InterrogatiTe  Pronouns 

106.  Who,  which,  and  what  may  be  used  as  Interrogative  Pronouns  i« 
a^ing  questions.  In  such  cases  whether  the  verb  that  agrees  with  them 
be  singular  or  plural  depends  upon  the  answer  to  thft  question;  as,  Wh» 
knocks?  Ans.  John.  Who  have  done  this  ignoble  deed?  The  hirelings  of 
the  enemy. 

Which  and  what  may  be  used  as  interrogative  adjectives;  as,  WhfU 
book  do  you  want?     Which  boy  was  to  blame? 

Exercise  34 

107.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  choosing  the  right  word: 

1.  I  wonder  («;/«?,  whom,)  will  be  chosen. 

2.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  say  is  to  be  selected? 

3.  (Who,  whom)  did  you  sell  it  to? 

4.  (Who,  whom)  can  it  be  but  Frank? 

5.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  believe  it  to  be? 

6.  I  have  no  idea  (whom,  who)  it  was. 

7.  Do  you  know  (who,  whom)  he  meant? 

8.  (Who,  whom)  was  it  given  to? 

9.  (Who,  whom)  will  it  be? 

10.  You  may  go  with  (whoever,  whomever)  you  are  acquainted. 

11.  My  friend  (who,  whom)  I  invited,  will  arrive  on  Monday. 

Review  Exercise  35 

108.  Select  the  proper  word: 

1.  I  had  no  thought  of  if  its  being  (she,  her). 

2.  (Who,  whom)  do  you  think  has  gone  to  London? 

3.  (Whom,  who)  do  you  think  we  met  in  New  York.? 

4.  I  met  a  lady  (who,  tvhom)  all  agree  is  beautiful. 

6.  I  am  not  sure  but  (what,  that)  he  deserves  to  be  punished. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  5y 

6.  The  man  {that,  who)  we  met  came  running  rapidly  back  to  us. 

7.  Let  you  and  {me,  I)  go  fishing. 

8.  {Who,  whom)  do  you  suppose  threw  that  rock? 

9.  Let  Mary  and  (/,  me)  go  home  early,  teacher. 
10.  {Who,  whom)  would  you  thank  if  not  (/,  me). 
Correct  the  following: 

1.  Here  is  the  man  who  we  sent  for.  * 

2.  I  am  sure  he  is  the  man  who  we  saw. 

3.  Who  is  it  for? 

4.  I  wonder  whom  he  thinks  we  are? 

5.  He  has  some  friends  who  I  know. 

6.  You  may  give  the  book  to  whoever  you  wish. 

7.  Whom  is  it  that  you  invited? 

8.  Do  you  know  who  it  is? 

9.  He  is  the  man  to  who  I  refer. 

10.  Just  between  you  and  I,  he  did  wrong. 

11.  It  was  me  that  made  the  noise  but  they  thought  it  was  her. 

12.  Who  did  you  hear? 

13.  Who  can  I  believe  if  not  my  friend? 

14.  Who  do  you  take  it  to  be? 

109,  Much    ambiguity    arises   from   misplacing   the  relative.     Make 
the  meaning  clear  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  The  pupil  will  receive  a  reward  from  the  teacher  who  is  diligent. 

2.  He  should  not  keep  a  horse  who  can  not  ride. 

3.  The  dog  fell  into  the  well  that  was  hurt. 

4.  A  purse  was  picked  up  by  a  lady  that  was  made  of  leather. 

5.  A  balloon  is  wanted  by  a  young  man  that  is  full  of  hot  air. 

6.  The  house  was  sold  to  a  lady  with  a  brick  foundation. 

7.  Chairs .  were  furnished  the  visitors  that  were  beautifully  carved  and  up- 
kolstered. 

8.  A  lunch  was  served  on  wooden  plates  which  we  ate  hurriedly. 

9.  The  boy  was  punished  by  the  teacher  that  is  the  numskull  of  the  school 
10.  We  sent  Mr.  Boyd  a  basket  of  peaches  with  our  thanks  some  of  which  weighed 

mearly  a  pound. 

LESSON  28-AdjectiTe  Pronouns 

110.  An  Adjective  Pronoun  is  an  adjective  that  may  take  the  place 
of  the  noun  it  modifies ;  as,  Each  person  gave  all  he  was  able  to  give.  Each 
is  an  adjective  modifying  person.  Each  of  them  gave  all  he  was  able. 
Each  is  an  adjective  pronoun,  representing  person  understood.'  The 
jiumber  of  the  adjective  pronoun  depends  upon  the  number  of  the  word  it 
modifies;  as.  More  than  one  were  htirt.     More  persons  were  hurt  than  one. 

The  words  most  commonly  used  as  adjective  pronouns  are:  all,  any, 
both,  each,  either,  neither,  few,  many,  much,  such,  none,  one,  some,  this,  that, 
these,  those,  former,  latter,  other,  some. 

Some  of  these  have  a  possessive  form  and  also  a  plural  form;  as,  One's 
right  is  as  good  as  another's.     The  smaller  ones  are  less  desirable. 


/r 


58  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

None  has  no  plural  form  though  sometimes  used  in  a  plural  sense; 
as  None  of  us  were  present. 

111.  Never  use  but  what  to  introduce  a  noun  clause,  use  but  that.  Wh« 
knows  but  that  you  will  get  the  prize.  But  meaning  except,  is  a  preposition. 
All  of  the  firemen  escaped  but  him. 

Exercise  36 

112.  Write  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  correct  pronoum, 
and  diagram  them: 

1.  I  did  not  know  it  was  (her,  she). 

2.  (He,  him)  and  Harry  thought  it  was  (us)  we). 

3.  He  is  not  so  tall  as  (nte}iy 

4.  It  wasn't  (me,  I). 

5.  (Us,  we)  four  were  there  on  time. 

6.  We  saw  Harry  and  (she,  her). 

7.  We  are  sure  it  was  (they,  them). 

8.  Yes,  itis  indeed  (hi)fi}  he). 

9.  Just  between  you  and  (/,  me),  it  is  my  opinion  that  (he,  him)  and  George 
will  disagree. 

10.  I  did  not  allude  to  either  you  or  (her^  she). 

11.  They  supposed  it  to  be  (/;  me).  ^ 

12.  Neither  Charles  nor  {}ier,  she)  was  to  blame. 

13.  He  thought  it  was  (us,  we)  but  it  was  (he,  him)  and  Walter.  ,  ^ 

14.  It  was  through  Frank  and  (she,  her)  that  word  was  sent  to  Max  and  (/,  me). 

15.  I  have  always  thought  that  it  was  (him,  he). 

16.  We  are  not  sure  of  (it,  its)  being  (she)  her). 

17.  It  was  Henry  and  (me,  I)  who  did  it. 

18.  It  will  be  (her,  she)  not  (we,  us)  who  will  win. 

19.  Just  between  you  and  (7,  me)  I  think  he  did  wrong. 

20.  He  sent  his  regards  to  you  and  (her,  she). 

21.  I  would  like  to  be  (she)  her^^,.^ 

«^:^5^113.  It  is  a  common  error  to  use  the  conjunctions  thari  and  as 
before  objective  pronouns  in  sentences  like  "She  is  older  than  we."  "She  is 
AS  tall  as  him.''  We  should  say,  "She  is  older  than  7."  "She  is  as  tall  as 
he." 

In  such  sentences  the  second  clause  is  contracted  by  the  omission 
of  the  verb.     By  supplying  the  verb,  the  reason  for  using  the  nominative 

form  becomes  evident. 

Exercise  37 

114.  In  the  following  sentences   choose   the   proper  pronoun,   and 

diagram  them: 

1.  John  studies  harder  than  (/t«^  him).  , 

2.  I  admire  it  as  much  as  (him,' he). 

3.  I  care  more  for  you  than  (she,  her). 

4.  We  are  older  than  (them,  they). 

5.  I  can  walk  as  fast  as  (him,  he). 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  59 

6.  Are  you  stronger  than  (Jiitn,  he)  ? 

7.  They  are  richer  than  {us,  we),  but  we  are  just  as  happy  as  {they,  them). 

8.  He  is  not  so  tall  as  (7,  me). 

9.  Mary  studies  harder  than  {her,  she). 

10.  "We  shall  be  there  as  soon  as  {them,  they). 

11.  They  walk  faster  than  {us,  we). 

12.  Everyone  is  giving  attention  to  this  lesson  but  {him,  he). 

115,  In  asserting  equality  of  comparison,  use  as  . . . .  as.  In  denying 
the  equality  of  comparison  use  so as. 

Examples :  He  is  as  tall  as  his  brother.  (Equality) .  He  is  not  so  tall 
as  his  brother.  (InequaUty). 

It  is  a  common  error  to  use  the  adverb  as  instead  of  50  in  sentences 
like  the  last. 

In  a  relative  clause  the  verb  must  agree  in  number  with  the  antecedent 
of  the  relative.  But  when,  who,  which,  or  what  is  used  in  asking  a  ques- 
tion, the  nuniber  form  of  the  verb  will  depend  upon  the  number  of  the 
antecedent  formed  in  the  answer  to  the  question.  Who  comes  here?  A 
friend.     Who  come  here?     Men  from  the  mines. 

Exercise  38 

116.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  making  necessary  corrections: 

1.  I  do  not  enjoy  fishing  as  well  as  him. 

2.  No  one^w  it  but  him. 

3.  I  do  not  like  you  as  well  as  them. 

4.  Harry  pays  closer  attention  to  the  lesson  than  him. 

5.  Had  you  studied  harder  you  might  not  be  as  deficient  as  you  are, 

6.  The  horse  knew  more  than  him. 

7.  Business  is  not  as  good  this  year  as  last. 

8.  They  are  all  here  but  her. 

9.  This  book  is  not  as  expensive  as  the  other. 

10.  I  told  you  it  was  they. 

11.  I  am  not  so  well  as  I  was  yesterday. 

12.  John  is  not  as  smart  as  him. 

13.  He  is  not  as  particular  now. 

14.  We  have  done  far  more  than  them. 

15.  Paris  is  not  as  large  as  London. 

16.  Who  does  more  for  him  than  us? 

17.  Harry  could  not  write  as  well  as  James. 

18.  I  like  you  as  well  as  them. 

19.  These  oranges  are  not  as  sweet  as  the  other  ones. 

20.  They  have  more  confidence  in  you  than  me.'^. 

21.  Shorthand  is  not  as  difficult  as  typewriting. 

22.  The  weather  is  not  as  good  as  it  was  yesterday. 

23.  This  ink  is  not  as  good  as  that. 

24.  That  envelope  is  not  as  large  as  this  one. 

25.  I  am  not  as.  good  at  typewriting  as  her. 

26.  He  was  not  as  well  prepared  as  his  brother. 


6o  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

27.  The  first  speaker  was  not  as  fluent  as  the  second  one. 

28.  He  is  not  as  wealthy  as  he  was  ten  years  ago. 

29.  The  fruit  crop  is  not  as  large  this  year. 

117,  Nor  should  be  used  as  the  correlative  of  neither,  and  or  as  the 
correlative  of  either.     Rewrite  and  correct  the  following: 

1 .  He  could  neither  read  or  write.  /  r  '  "       ''-'^  ' 

2.  We  have  neither  food  or  shelter.  J^t^^       <^^f       •    ^ 

3.  He  was  neither  too  fast  or  too  slow.  '  '  f 

4.  It  was  neither  too  warm  or  too  cold. 

5.  I  will  neither  go  or  allow  you  to  go. 

6.  Our  position  is  such  that  we  can  neither  accept  or  reject  your  proposition. 

7.  He  could  neither  solve  the  problem  or  find  anyone  who  could. 

8.  The  box  was  neither  large  enough  or  strong  enough. 

9.  His  handwriting  was  neither  legible  or  rapid. 

10.  The  check  was  neither  signed  or  dated. 

11.  He  neither  acts  like  a  child  or  chews  gum  during  school. 

12.  She  should  neither  study  her  lesson  or  go  to  the  classroom. 

13.  They  could  not  get  the  car  to  go  either  backward  or  forward. 

14.  The  paper  was  neither  black  or  white. 

15.  Neither  you  or  your  brother  is  eligible. 

16.  The  safe  was  neither  closed  or  locked. 

17.  The  men  could  neither  push  or  pull  the  car  that  was  off  the  track. 

^-s.      LESSON  29— Sentences,  Compound  and  Complex 

118,  A  Compound  Sentence  is  formed  by  uniting  two  or  more  simple 
sentences,  relating  to  the  same  subject,  by  means  of  ^co-ordinate  conjunc- 
tions, into  one  expression.  Note  the  following  two  simple  sentences : 
I  slept  and  dreamed  that  life  is  beauty.  I  awoke  from  a  dream  and  found 
that  life  is  duty. 

When  combined  into  a  compound  sentence  these  would  read:  I 
slept  and  dreamed  that  life  is  beauty,  but  I  awoke  and  found  that  life  is 
duty.  .. 

The  principal  co-ordinate  conjunctions  axel  and,  or,  nor,  and  hut.  There 
are  many  other  words,  usually  adverbs,  that  may  be  used  with  these,  or 
substituted  for  them  in  uniting  the  parts  of  a  compound  sentence.  The 
most  common  ones  are,  also,  accordingly,  consequently,  besides,  else,  further- 
moref  hence,  however,  yet,  so,  nevertheless,  therefore,  still,  then. 

John  must  obey  the  rules,  else  he  will  be  punished. 

John  must  obey  the  rules  or  he  will  be  punished. 

Washington  crossed  the  Delaware  and  Lincoln  freed  the  slaves, 
would  not  form  a  compound  sentence,  as  the  most  important  element, 
related  ideas,  is  absent.  The  parts  of  a  compound  sentence,  when  short 
and  closely  connected  in  thought,  should  not  be  separated  by  a  comma. 


^^A 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  6i 

When  the  parts  are  long  and  involved,  or  not  closely  united  in  thought, 
they  should  be  separated  by  a  comma. 

119.  A  Clause  is  an  expression,  containing  a  subject  and  predicate, 
but  which  does  not  express  a  complete  thought.' 

A  Complex  Sentence  is  formed  by  uniting  a  clause  to  a  simple  sentence 
by  means  of  a  subordinate  conjunction  in  such  a  way  as  to  express  a  com- 
plete thought;  as,  The  man  who  stole  the  /u?rse  has  been  captured.  The 
man  has  been  captured,  is  the  simple  sentence;  who  stole  the  horse,  is  the 
subordinate  clause.  "^^^^^Iizrm:^^^^ 

The  principal  subordinate  connectives  are  the  relative  pronoims, 
who,  which,  and  that.  They  usually  introduce  adjectival  clauses.  The 
conjunctive  adverbs,  when,  where,  while,  why,  and  how  usually  introduce 
adverbial  clauses,  and  the  subordinate  conjtmctions  ihat^  since,  because,  if, 
etc.,  usually  introduce  noun  clauses. 

Noun  clauses  may  be  used  as  the  subject;  as.  That  he  deceived  you  is 
evident.  As  the  attribute  complement;  as,  The  general  belief  is  that  the 
man  is  guilty.     As  the  object;  as.  He  told  me  that  you  would  pay  the  debt. 

Clauses  are  restrictive  or  non-restrictive. 

A  restrictive  clause  is  one  that  is  necessary  to  make  clear  the  writer's 
primary  meaning;  as;  Words  that  stand  for  nouns  are  called  pronotms. 
That  stand  for  nouns  is  a  restrictive  clause. 

A  non-restrictive  clause  is  one  that  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to 
make  clear  the  meaning,  but  is  used  to  add  a  new  idea  or  emphasize  one 
already  expressed  in  the  sentence^,  as,  Words,  which  are  signs  of  ideas,  are 
divided  into  classes,  called  parts  of  speech.  Whi^h  are  signs  of  ideas  is  a 
non-restrictive  clause. 

Restrictive  adjectival^  clauses  are  usually  introduced  by  ^Aa/;^  non- 
restrictive,  by  who  or  which.)  --" 

Restrictive  clauses  should  never  be  set  off  by  commas;  non-restrictive 
clauses  should  always  be  set  offj  ^ 

Restrictive  and  non-restrictive  expressions  may  consist  of  words,  or 
phrases,  as  well  as  clauses. 

The  most  conmion  words  used  in  a  non-restrictive  sense  are  called 
appositive  modifiers. 

Nearly  all  appositive  modifiers,  consisting  of  more  than  two  words, 
are  parenthetical  or  non-restrictive,  and  shoidd  be  set  off  by  commas. 

The  following  contain  restrictive  expressions: 

Our  president  Lincoln  was  a  statesman. 

The  Greek  philosopher  Diogenes  sought  in  vain  for  an  honest  man. 

Peter  the  Hermit  preached  the  first  crusade. 

The  bo3"  running  so  rapidly  is  my  nephew. 


62  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

The  following  sentences  contain  non-restrictive  expressions: 

Mr.  Luckey,  the  well-known  school  superintendent,  has  been  elected  to 
the  legislature. 

Washington,  the  first  president  of  the  U.  S.,  was  first  in  war,  first  in 
peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen. 

The  diamond,  which  is  pure  carbon,  is  produced  b>  intense  heat,  and 
under  great  pressure. 

The  deer,  lifting  its  head,  saw  us  on  the  bank  of  the  stream. 

Exercise  40 

1 20,  Determine  which  of  the  following  clauses  are  restrictive  and 
which  are  non-restrictive,  select  the  proper  connective,  and  supply  the 
proper  punctuation: 

\1.  He  (that,  who)  plods  will  reach  the  goal. 

2.  Cherish  patriotism  (which,  that)  is  each  citizen's  birthright. 

3.  Pittsburg  (which,  that)  is  a  very  busy  city  is  known  everywhere  as  "the 
smoky  city." 

4.  The  smile  (that,  which)  lit  up  her  face  was  a  revelation  to  me. 

5.  He  says  my  horse  (which,  that)  is  a  Hambletonian  is  a  very  valuable  animal. 

6.  Stop  at  the  house  (that,  which)  is  next  to  the  bridge. 

"7.  People  (that,  who)  live  in  glass  houses  shouldn't  throw  stones.  t 

8.  Washington  (who)  that)  was  born  in  Virgini^  is  called  the  father  of  his  country,  n  ^  '■■''■ 

9.  His  hair  (which,  that)  was  soft,  yellow,  and  silky,  hung  in  ringlets. 

10.  His  writing  (which,  that)  is  very  small  is  beautiful. 

11.  Happy  is  the  man  (who,  that)  findeth  wisdom. 

12.  The  man  (wlio,  that)  fell  overboard  was  drowned. 

13.  Maize  (which,  that)  is  another  name  for  Indian  com  grows  in  America. 

14.  I  had  a  dream  (that,  which)  was  not  all  a  dream. 

15.  Columbus  (who,  that)  was  a  Genoese  discovered  America. 

16.  A  fierce  spirit  of  rivalry  (that,  which)  is  at  all  times  a  dangerous  passion  had 
now  taken  full  possession  of  him. 

lij?.  They  ascended  to  the  platform  (which,  that)  fell  with  a  crash.  « 

18.  The  horse  (which,  that)  is  prized  for  his  beauty  is  a  valuable  animal. 

19.  The  fish  (which,  that)  were  small  were  caught  in  large  numbers. 

20.  The  ruby  (that,  which)  he  found, belongs  to  my  sister. 

Note. — The  relative  in  a  non-restrictive  clause  is  generally  equivalent  to  and 
he,  and  they,  and  it. 

Many  reputable  writers  use  who  and  which  to  introduce  restrictive 

clauses,  especially  when  their  use  adds  to  the  euphony  of  the  sentence. 

LESSON  3a-The  Comma 

121,  The  comma  indicates  the  slightest  degree  of  separation  between 
the  parts  of  the  sentence. 

The  comma  should  be  used: 

I.  Whenever  the  sense  would  not  be  clear  without  it,  and  only  then;  as. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  63 

He  has  four  yoke  of  oxen,  and  horses.     They  landed,  and  killed  ten  Indians. 

2.  To  set  off  introductory  words  or  expressions  not  used  directly  to 
modify  some  partictdar  word  in  the  sentence;  as,  However,  I  will  keep  my 
promise.  However  strenuously  he  may  strive,  he  cannot  undo  the  past. 
However  in  the  last  sentence  modifies  strenuously. 

3.  To  set  off  intermediate  expressions;  as,  We  are,  in  fact,  only  the 
advance  agents  of  civilization. 

4.  To  set  off  parenthetical  expressions;  i.  e.  expressions  not  necessarj 
to  make  the  primary  meaning  of  the  sentence  clear;  as,  EngUsh  is,  be- 
yond question,  the  most  important  subject  of  the  course. 

5.  To  set  off  appositive  modifiers,  when  they  consist  of  more  than 
two  words;  as,  Washington,  or  the  ''Father  of  his  Country"  as  he  is  familiarly 
known,   executed  one  of  the  most  masterly  retreats  recorded  in  history. 

If  the  comma,  however,  is  necessary  to  make  the  meaning  clear, 
though  the  appositive  consists  of  only  one  word,  it  should  be  inserted; 
as,  Elizabeth's  favorite,  Raleigh,  was  beheaded.  Without  the  comma  it 
may  seem  that  of  several  Raleighs,  the  favorite  Raleigh  was  beheaded.  I, 
Paul,  say  these  things  to  you. 

6.  When  an  explanatory  expression  is  introduced  by  or  or  as  it  should 
be  set  off;  as.  The  puma,  or  American  lion^  is  a  native  of  South  America. 
He,  03  a  statesman,  showed  great  ability. 

7.  Nouns  repeated  for  emphasis,  or  rhetorical  effect,  should  be  set  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  sentence.  I  met  a  fool,  a  cros)/ /oo/.  ''Treason,  treason, 
treason,  came  from  every  part  of  the  house. 

8.  Words,  phrases,  or  clauses,  used  in  a  series  without  connection, 
should  be  separated  by  commas.  When  a  conjunction  is  used  between 
the  last  two  words  of  a  series  a  comma  should  be  inserted  before  it; 
Honesty,  truthfulness,  and  loyalty  constitute  an  invincible  equipment. 
Men  of  prudence,  of  intelligence,  and  of  integrity,  are  always    in  demand. 

9.  When  no  conjunction  joins  the  last  two  words  of  a  series  forming 
a  compound  subject  or  predicate,  a  conmia  should  follow  the  last  word 
also;  as.  Attention,  application,  loyalty,  make  for  success. 

10.  A  participle  used  as  an  adjective,  unless  used  in  a  restrictive 
sense,  should  be  set  off  by  conmias;  as,  The  deer,  suddenly  lifting  its  head, 
detected  our  presence.  The  man  standing  nearest  the  door  is  watching  us. 
Standing  is  restrictive. 

A  participial  phrase  is  restrictive  when  the  relative  pronoun  that  and 
a  finite  verb  can  be  substituted  without  injury  to  the  sense;  as,  A  man  re- 
taining moral  integrity  under  trying  circumstances,  deserv'-es  great  honor. 
Equivalent  to  that  retains,  and  is,  therefore,  restrictive. 

11.  A  non-restrictive  clause  should  be  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the 


64  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

''  i 
sentence.     Maize,  which  is  another  name  for  Indian  corn,  grows  in  America. 

A  non-restrictive  clause  is  not  necessary  to  give  the  primary  meaning, 
but  adds  some  new  thought  to  the  sentence. 

The  relative  in  a  non-restrictive  clause  is  generally  equivalent  to  and 
he,  and  it,  and  they,  etc.     I  had  a  dream,  which  {and  it)  was  not  all  a  dream. 

The  relative  that  should  be  used  only  in  restrictive  clauses;  who  or 
which,  in  non-restrictive.  Many  reputable  authors,  however,  use  who 
or  which  in  restrictive  clauses. 

When  the  relative  has  several  antecedents  that  are  themselves  separated 
by  commas,  it  should  be  set  off  by  a  comma,  even  though  the  clause  be 
restrictive.  There  were  present  laborers,  mechanics,  and  merchants,  who 
listened  patiently  to  his  arguments. 

If  the  comma  after  merchants  were  omitted  the  sentence  might  be 
held  to  mean  that  the  merchants,  only,  listened  patiently. 

12.  In  a  compound  sentence,  if  the  last  clause  follows  as  a  consequence 
of  the  condition  expressed  in  the  first,  they  should  be  separated  by  a  comma; 
as,  The  policeman  ran  rapidly,  but  the  thief  finally  escaped. 

13.  When  the  members  of  a  compound  sentence  are  long  or  differently 
modified,  they  should  be  separated  by  a  comma ;  as,  I  love  not  the  womaa 
that  is  vain  of  her  beauty,  or  the  man  that  prides  himself  on  his  wisdom. 

/'1 4.  The  members  of  a  compound  sentence  where  one  part  presents 
an  affirmation  and  the  other  a  negative,  should  be  separated  by  a  comma; 
as.  Assurance  may  secure  you  a  job,  but  it  will  not  hold  it  for  you. 

When  the  members  of  a  compound  sentence  or  either  of  them  are 
divided  by  a  comma,  they  should  usually  be  separated  by  a  semicolon;  as, 
Gentlemen,  are  you  ready  for  action;  have  you  fully  counted  the  cost? 

15.  When  words  or  phrases  are  used  in  pairs,  a  comma  should  be  used 

after  each  pair;  as,  "Sink  or  swirh,  live  or  die,  survive  or  perish,  I  am  for  the 

Declaration." 

Review  Exercise  41 

122.    Punctuate  and  capitalize  the  following: 

1.  (^hiojindand.ulvjvere  part  of  the  northwest  territory. 

2.  general  ti.s  grant  was  unquestionably  the  ablest  military  commander  the 
united  states  has  produced 

3.  newton^the  great  mathematician  discovered  the  law  of  gravitation  ; 

4.  the  following  indorsements  were  made  on  the  notejjuly  1^  $300  *ept  J7^  $600  ' 
Dec  f^  $150.-  J. 

5.  'now,  John  said  the  teachei^how  is  a  speculative  property  account  closed^ 

6.  to  greece  we  are  indebted  for  the  three  principal  orders  of  architectui%^vi«_, 
thedoric  the  ionian  and  the  corinthian  , 

7.  the  connective  is  sometimes  omitted 'as^  the  miser  grows  rich  by  seeming 
pooAhe  extravagant  man  poor  by  seeming  rich  > 


Effectii/e  English  and  Letter  Writing  ^  6$ 

8.  mary  began  her  high  school  course  at  Stockton  ^ut  completed  it  at  the  oak- 
land  high  school 

9.  we  may  live  without  poetry^  music^nd  art^we  may  live  without  conscience 
and  live  without  heart, we  may  live  without  freinds  we  may  live  without  books  but 
civilized  man  cannot  Uve>without  cooks  ♦ 

10.  John  w  barrows  lid  william  Wallace  dd  the  rev  henry  harlow  and  the  hon 
William  calvin  were  of  the  party  who  visited  tne  worlds  fair  at  paris. 

11.  waiter  the  penniless  was  an  incompetent  leader, 

12.  the  teacher  being  absent  the  pupils  had  a  holiday  , 

13.  the  teacher's  being  absent  was  a  great^disappointment  to  the  pupils  , 

14.  the  girl  as  well  as  her  escort  was  caught  in  the  storm. 

15.  of  all  odr  senses  sight  is  the  most  perfect  and  delightful. 

16.  have  you  read  the  Uves  of  the  hunted  «> 

17.  although  we  seldom  follow  advice  we  ar5  all  ready  to  ask  it  ^ 

18.  the  romans  who  conquered  greece  were  brave  men 

19.  punctuality  is  no  doubt  a  quality  of  great  importance 

20.' now  siivl^hy  do  kites  rise? -~  

2irindustry  honesty  frugality  and  temperance  are  among  the  cardinal  virtues 

22.  gen  burgoyne  who  was  a  renowned  soldier  surrendered  his  army  at  Saratoga 

23.  one  could  not  help  looking  at  the  childs  sweet  bright  happy  face 

24.  he  came  from  Stockton  yesterday  and  today  i  took  him  driving 

25.  the  long  green  com  tassels  were  waving  in  profusion 

26.  in  the  first  place  said  the  witness  i  do  not  know  john  higgins 

27.  however  i  should  not  advise  you  to  accept  the  proposition  for  I  believe 
you  win  regret  it  if  you  do 

28.  he  is  the  man  who  did  the  work  but  not  the  man  who  presented  the  bill 

29.  gen  grant  who  afterward  became  president  captured  vicksburg 

30.  he  shouted  and  frightened  the  child  into  convulsions 

31.  we  must  however  pay  some  deference  to  the  opinions  of  the  wise 

32.  if  you  would  be  revenged  on  your  enemies  let  your  life  be  blameless 

33.  honesty  is  the  best  policy  but  he  is  not  an  honest  man  who  acts  on  that 
principle 

34.  do  not  insult  a  poor  man  his  misery  entitles  him  to  pity 

35.  well  it  takes  more  than  muscle  to  make  a  man  * 

36.  was  that  wonderful  instrument  the  hand  made  to  be  idle 

37.  do  not  squander  time  for  that  is  the  stuff  that  life  is  made  of 

38.  John  qviincy  adams  last  words  were  this  is  the  end  of  life 

39.  he  began  by  saying  the  old  proverb  well  begun  is  half  done  contains  an  im- 
portant truth 

40.  his  question  how  are  we  to  prove  it  was  not  out  of  place 

41.  please  ship  us  by  freight  via  the  b  &  o  rr  the  following  goods 

42.  what  one  dies  for  not  his  dying  glorifies  him 

43.  knowing  that  you  have  no  agent  at  this  end  of  the  line  we  offer  our  services 

44.  the  word  knowledge  strictly  employed  implies  three  things  namely  truth 
proof  and  conviction. 

45.  apples  pears  peaches  plums  and  cherries  are  commercial  commodities 

46.  the  reason  for  the  failure  as  will  be  seen  later  was  the  lack  of  application 

47.  the  boy  that  idles  away  his  time  wiU  probably  become  a  vagrant 

48.  no  book  could  have  been  chosen  that  would  be  more  suitable 


66  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

49.  in  the  interest  of  humanity  i  appeal  to  all  the  citizens  of  our  country  to  resist 
the  encroachments  of  wealth  upon  individual  liberty 

50.  the  strike  being  at  an  end  work  was  resumed  without  delay. 

51.  iron  the  most  useful  of  metals  is  fortunately  the  cheapest 

62.  milton  the  poet  was  blind  and  his  temper  was  execrable 
i^---53.  they  told  the  sexton  and  the  sexton  tolled  the  bell, 

54,  pure  thoughts  good  deeds  and  noble  aspirations  elevate  a  man 

55.  when  a  man  ceases  to  go  up  he  begins  to  go  down 

.^^^6.  he  who jhesitates  between  duty  and  desire,is  lost  to  honor  ^-l 
57.  it  is  the  worst  wheel  of  the  cart  that  makes  the  most  noise 
;'.  58.  the  south  was  in  a  turmoil  and  the  north  was  in  a  rage  ^ 

59.  do  your  best  no  one  could  expect  more  of  you  and  in  justice  to   yourself 
you  can  do  no  less 

60.  be  good  sweet  maid  and  let  who  will  be  clever 

61.  the  commander  riding  ahead  encouraged  the  troops 
^-^2.  turning  our  horse  ;we  rode  back  to  the  fort 

63.  the  soldier  wounded  by  a  shell  was  carried  to  the  rear 

64.  to  be  candid  I  have  but  little  confidence  in  the  plan 

65.  education  figuratively  speaking  is  the  key  to  success 

66.  having  been  late  many  times  he  hesitated  to  enter 

67.  The  venerable  orator  rising  slowly  addressed  the  audience 

68.  striving  industriously  for  an  hour  he  finally  effected  his  escape 

69.  the  deer  standing  nearest  the  lake  is  looking  toward  us 

70.  the  deer  suddenly  lifting  its  head  detected  our  presence 

71.  we  will  despite  your  opposition  sir  pass  this  bill 

72.  one  of  these  sentences  does  not  need  a  comma  which  one 
%^iZ.  to  try  things  oft,  and  never  give  over  doth  wonders  JBacon  « 

74.  law  is  powerful  necessity  more  so  Goethe 

75.  the  more  we  do  the  more  we  can  do  the  more  busy  we  are  the  more  leisure 
we  have  Hazlit 

76.  time  wasted  is  existence  used  is  life  Young 

X-77.  tis  better  not  to  know  so  much  than  to  know  so  much  that  isnt  true  declared 
the  speaker^  ' 

78.  far  better  to  know  everything  of  a  little  than  a  little  of  everything  Pickering 

79.  make  your  calculations  to  live  forever  but  be  prepared  to  die  at  any  time 
Kennedy 

80.  it  is  good  to  begin  well  but  better  to  end  well 

81.  the  noblest  question  in  the  world  is  what  good  may  I  do  in  it 

82.  keep  thy  shop  and  thy  shop  will  keep  thee  Franklin 

83.  Three  may  keep  a  secret  if  two  of  them  are  dead  Franklin 

84.  nothng  is  denied  to  well  directed  labor  nothing  is  ever  to  be  attained  with- 
out it  selected 

85.  do  your  duty  come  what  may 

LESSON  31-Methods  of  Remitting  Monej 

123.  There  are  many  substitutes  for  money  in  the  commercial  world. 
Goods  are  bought  and  sold,  debts  settled,  collections  made,  and  remittances 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  67 

forwarded  by  means  of  checks,  bank  and  personal  drafts,  postal  and  ex- 
press money  orders,  telegraph  orders,  etc. 

The  most  common  form  of  commercial  paper  is  the  personal  check. 
Money  is  deposited  in  the  bank, and  the  check  is  an  order  upon  the  bank 
to  pay  a  certain  person  a  certain  sum  of  money.  The  following  is  a  com- 
mon form: 


Checks  should  be  presented  promptly  for  payment  or  deposit,  as 
delay  might  cause  the  payee  (the  one  who  is  to  receive  the  money)  to  lose 
his  right  to  coUect. 

When  your  own  checks  are  returned  to  you  from  the  bank,  file  them 
in  order  of  their  datings  and  keep  them  as  vouchers  or  receipts  for  the 
payments.  Remember  a  cancelled  check  is  the  best  kind  of  a  receipt 
for  the  payment  of  an  obligation. 

Before  checks, or  any  other  kind  of  commercial  paper,  can  be  cashed 
or  deposited  they  must  first  be  endorsed,  i.  e.,  the  payee  must  sign  his 
name  on  the  back  exactly  as  it  is  written  on  the  face  of  the  paper.  The 
usual  custom  is  for  the  payee  to  write  his  name  across  the  check  about  one 
inch  from  the  left  hand  end.  If  the  name  appears  on  the  face  of  the  paper 
"John  W.  Cadman,"  as  payee,  most  banks  would  not  accept  it  with  the 
endorsement  "J.  Winters  Cadman." 

Care  should  be  exercised  when  filling  in  the  amount  to  see  that  the 
sum  shown  by  figures  agrees  with  that  in  writing,  and  also  to  see  that  no 
opportunity  is  afforded  dishonest  persons  to  increase  the  amount  by  in- 
serting more  figures  or  writing,  or  in  another  manner  to  alter  it.  (Teacher 
should  here  demonstrate.) 

124.  After  reading  instructions  on  page  24  write  a  letter  to  Mr. 
L.  W.  Zinn,  Riverside,  Cal.,  enclosing  3'^our  check  for  $961.45,  the  amount 
of  your  note  of  $900.00  and  interest  to  date.  Ask  him  kindly  to  return  the 
cancelled  note. 

Write  an  answer  to  your  letter  to  Mr.  Zinn,  acknowledging  receipt  of 
the  check.     State  that  you  are  enclosing  the  cancelled  note,  etc.     Write 


68  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

the  note  (see  form  below),  and  cancel  it  with  red  ink.  (Teacher  will  demon- 
strate) . 


02^^-^      (SL^y^h-^/ 


125,  A  large  percentage  of  the  monetary  exchanges  of  the  world  is 
effected  by  means  of  bank  drafts.  Banks  which  do  a  general  banking 
business  usually  keep  funds  on  deposit  with  other  banks  in  the  larger 
cities,  against  which  they  issue  drafts  in  favor  of  persons  who  wish  to  buy 
what  is  called  "exchange"  on  these  cities.  While  the  banks  generally 
charge  a  low  rate  of  exchange  for  these  drafts,  yet  they  often  issue  them  to 
regular  depositors  without  exchange  charge. 

Drafts  on  large  cities  are  usually  received  as  cash  by  banks  throughotit 
the  country,  but  the  person  presenting  them  must  be  properly  identified. 

A  draft  or  check  used  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  remittance  by  mail 
should  never  be  made  payable  to  bearer,  either  on  its  face  or  by  blank  en- 
dorsement, as  such  paper  may  then  be  cashed  by  any  person  whether  he 
has  a  right  to  the  money  or  not. 

Following  is  a  common  form  of  Bank  Draft: 


dnlbge  Natotial  Sank 


cou.eoc  cumWNcr 


SBrnMl^Cd.- 


^ 


//''  ^^JI^^i^lS.^ective  English  and  Letter  Writing 
LESSON  32— The  Inyoice 


69 


126,  An  Invoice  is  a  written  statement  in  detail  of  articles  sold.  (See 
model  following).  It  should  give  the  name  of  the  place  from  where  the 
goods  were  sold  or  shipped,  the  date  of  the  sale,  the  names  of  the  buyer 
and  seller,  the  terms  of  payment,  the  name,  quantity  and  price  of  the 
articles,  and  the  total  amoimt.  The  invoice  is  said  to  be  receipted  when 
the  words  "Received  payment"  or  the  word  "Paid,"  and  the  seller's  sig- 
nature have  been  written  at  the  bottom.  It  is  common  for  the  seller  of 
the  goods  to  call  it  a  Bill,  while  the  buyer  properly  refers  to  it  as  an  Invoice. 


-Hoc^xt.  R.W.  DECKER  ®>  CO. 


Sou  to 


T€nM/^.A;£^^l^^?^:3^ 


lurrAi, 


-i»i^ 


127.  When  L.W.  Peart  &  Co.  bought  the  goods  of  R.W.  Decker  &  Co., 
as  shown  above,  the  latter  firm  mailed  the  biU  to  the  buyers  at  the  time  of 
sale. 

Asstmie  that  you  are  bookkeeper  for  L.  W.  Peart  &  Co.,  and  that  this 
invoice  has  not  run  the  60  days  according  to  the  terms  of  the  sale,  and 
should  be  paid  with  the  discotmts  of  10%  and  5%.  Obtain  a  bank  draft 
(according  to  instructions  from  your  teacher)  for  the  amount  of  the  in- 
voice less  the  discount.  Also  make  a  copy  of  this  invoice  (with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  acknowledgment  of  payment). 

Write  a  letter  to  R.W.  Decker  &  Co.,  enclosing  the  bank  draft  and  the 
invoice.  Ask  them  to  receipt  the  invoice  and  return  it  to  you.  Sign  the 
letter,  per  your  initials. 

128,  Some  time  ago  the  commission  firm  of  J.  E.  Cox  &  Co.,  of  42  5  Mc- 
Allister St.,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  shipped  you  some  goods  to  be  sold  on 
commission.     The  last  of  the  goods  have  been  sold  and  you  are  to  remit  for 


70 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


the  proceeds  which  amount  to  $ Obtain  a  bank  draft  as  previously 

instructed,  make  out  account  sales  according  to  the  following  form  and 
enclose  the  two  papers  in  your  letter.  Request  that  a  receipt  be  sent  for 
the  payment. 


p^,^yyh>y  Z'^^^^^^l^.^  r-t^ 


OUNT  SALES 


Tq. 


For  Merchandise  Received, 
Consignment  ^e.  //>,, 


^^cy  ^^JU<^  ^.<^-zz^..zL^ 


r^.  i!;p^    ,  ?/(^  _. 


i^^i^ 


7^^ 


J:^^L^ 


Dray»ge  %//P^^^         Storage  %  -Z,  ^"^ 

\ /  1 ~ 

Insurance  %   z)^ ^  Commission  i/4^  ^ 


Inspection  % 


Other  Charges  t 


Total  Charges 


129,  Write  answers  to  the  following  questions  and  submit  to  your 
teacher : 

1.  Which  is  preferable,  "Your  letter  of  the  25th inst.,"  or,  "Your 
letter  of  June  25?" 

2.  Which  of  the  following  words  should  be  capitalized?  college 
of  physicians  and  surgeons,  texas  is  a  state  in  the  south,  he  speaks  both 
latin  and  Spanish  fluently,     we  spoke  of  the  art  department, 

3.  What  is  wrong  with  the  following  expressions?  Four  cow's  for 
sale.  Men's  and  Children's  shoes.  He  has  five  years'  experience.  The 
merchant's  picnic, 

4.  Why  are  2d  and  3d  better  than  2nd  and  3rd?  , ..  , 

5.  What  are  meanings  of  pages  4,  7,  12,  and  pag^s  38-64? 

6.  Should  the  first  word  of  a  sentence  begin  with  figures? 

7.  May  a  word  of  one  syllable  be  divided?  V 

8.  Why  is  a  hypen  required  in  high-colored  and  not  in  highly  colored"^  J 

LESSON  33— Words  Frequently  Misused 

130,  Advise,  Advice,  Say,  I  want  yo\ir  advice  in  the  matter,  not 
advise.     Advice  is  a  noun;  advise  is  a  verb. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  71 

Combine,  Combination.  Say,  A  combination  was  formed.  Combine  is 
a  verb. 

Postal,  Postal  Card.  Do  not  say,  I  received  a  postal.  Postal  is  an 
adjective. 

Raise,  Increase.  Say,  He  got  an  increase  in  salary.  Raise  is  a 
verb. 

Bound,  Determined.  Do  not  say,  I  am  bound  to  win.  Bound 
refers  to  obligation. 

Allowed,  Thought.  Do  not  say,  I  allowed  he  would  do  that;  thought 
is  the  proper  word. 

Beg  to  say,  Wotdd  say.  You  are  not  a  beggar.  I  would  say,  is 
correct. 

Calculate,  Intend.  To  calculate  means  to  arrive  at  mathematically. 
Say,  I  intend  to  finish  my  course. 

Graduated  from,  Was  graduated  at.  Say,  I  was  graduated  from 
Berkeley.     The  school  does  the  graduating,  not  the  student. 

Help,  Avoid.  Do  not  say,  I  could  not  help  crying.  Help  means 
assistance. 

Posted,  Informed.  Do  not  say.  He  is  well  posted.  People  are  in- 
formed but  not  posted. 

Try  and,  Try  to.     Say,  I  shall  try  to  see  you  tomorrow. 

Exceptionable,  Exceptional.  Exceptionable  means  that  to  which 
we  may  take  exception.  Do  not  say.  This  city  has  exceptionable  advan- 
tages. 

Healthy,  Healthful,  Wholesome.  Do  not  say.  Com  bread  is  healthy. 
Wholesome  is  the  proper  word  when  referring  to  food.  Healthful  means 
anything  that  tends  to    produce  health. 

Practicable,  Practical.  Do  not  say.  It  is  not  a  practical  plan. 
Practical  means  having  skill  or  practice,  while  practicable  means  capable, 

of  being  carried  out  or  practiced.      1 1;     ^~^\  t   ^.  .     /V I  r>v ;"(  ft  '-L 

— ■  ij 

LESSON  34— Agreements  of  Parts  of  Speech 

131,  A  verb  must  agree  with  its  subject  in  person  and  in  number; 
as.  The  boy  was  hurt.  Both  are  singular.  The  boys  love  their  mother. 
Both  are  plural.  All  verbs  in  present  tense  that  end  in  s  are  singular. 
Remember  if  the  subject  is  singvdar  in  sense  the  verb  is  singular,  and  vice 
versa. 

2.  A  verb  agrees  with  its  subject  in  sense  rather  than  in  form.  As 
much  as  twenty  inches  of  snow  hQsJ^en  in  Florida  this  winter. 

3.  If  the  subject  expresses  number  the  verb  follows  the  first  statement. 
As  many  as  five  silver  dollars  w^  picj^ed  up  in  the  street  after  the  accident. 


72  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing       ^ 

4.  If  quantity  is  expressed  the  verb  will  be  singular;  as,  Three  hun- 
dred dollars  was  paid  for  a  substitute.  Three  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  was 
raised  on  the  ranch. 

5.  The  pronoun  I  except  when  it  is  used  with  was  or  am,  requires  the 
plural  verb,  though  it  stands  for  a  singular  antecedent;  as,  I  have  heard 
the  news. 

6.  The  pronoun  you  always  requires  a  plural  verb  even  though  it 
represents  a  singular  antecedent;  as,  You  are  the  person  wanted. 

7.  Nouns  that  have  but  one  form  for  both  numbers  require  the  singu- 
lar or  the  plural  verb  according  to  the  sense  in  which  they  are  used;  as, 
Many  deer  were  shot  by  the  hunters.     A  large  deer  was  caught  in  the  corral. 

8.  When  the  construction  represents  the  members  of  a  collective  noun 
as  acting  in  unison  the  verb  to  agree  with  it  must  be  singular;  as,  The 
jury  has  agreed  upon  its  verdict.  When  the  construction  represents  the 
members  of  the  collective  noun  as  acting  independently  of  each  other, 
the  verb  to  agree  with  it  must  be  plural.  The  jury  have  not  agreed  upon 
a  verdict.  The  congregation  love  their  pastor.  The  congregation  has 
increased  the  pastor's  salary. 

9.  Singular  subjects  connected  by  and  require  a  plural  verb ;  as,  The 
man  and  his  son  have  gone  home. 

10.  When  subjects  are  connected  by  or,  or  nor,  the  verb  agrees  with 
the  subject  nearest  to  the  verb ;  as,  John  or  his  sisters  have  won  the  prize. 
Neither  John  nor  his  sister  has  won  a  prize.  Neither  the  sailors  nor  the 
captain  was  to  blame. 

11.  When  subjects  are  connected  by  and  too,  and  also,  and  not,  but 
not,  if  not,  and  as  well  as,  the  verb  agrees  with  the  subject  first  mentioned 
and  is  understood  to  the  other.  Such  expressions  are  awkward  and  should, 
when  practicable,  be  avoided.  Examples  illustrating  the  rule:  The 
sailors,  as  well  as  the  captain,  have  earned  the  reward.  The  captain,  and 
the  sailors,  too,  has  earned  the  reward.  John,  and  his  sister  also,  has  gone 
home.     Note  the  use  of  the  comma  in  these  and  similar  constructions. 

12.  When  subjects  connected  by  afid  are  preceded  by  each,  every,  or 
no  the  verb  must  be  singular;  as.  Each  tree  and  each  leaf  proclaims  the 
wisdom  of  its  Creator,     No  tyrant  and  no  traitor  breathes  our  mountain  air. 

13.  When  subjects  connected  by  and  refer  to  the  saftie  object,  the  verb 
should  be  singular;  as,  My  friend  and  teacher  has  done  this  for  me. 

14.  When  the  subject  is  a  partitive  word  and  is  followed  by  of  the 
number  of  the  verb  is  determined  by  the  number  of  the  noun  following 
of.  Three-fourths  of  the  words  were  mispelled.  Three-fourths  of  the  crop 
has  been  sold. 

15.  When  the  subject  is  a  noun  like  variety,  abundance,  plenty,  and 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  73 

number,  followed  by  of,  the  ntunber  of  the  verb  is  determined  by  that 
of  the  noun  following  of;  as,  A  ntunber  of  deserters  were  captured.  An 
abundance  of  water  was  found.  An  abundance  of  apples  were  raised  on 
the  fann. 

Exception:  When  the  word  number  is  preceded  by  the,  the  verb  is 
always  singvdar;  as,  The  number  of  fatal  cases  is  daily  growing  smaller. 

16.  Do  not  mistake  an  apparent  for  an  actual  subject;  as.  An  ex- 
ploration of  the  chambers  was  at  once  begun.  Exploration  is  the  subject, 
act  chambers. 

Exercise  43 

132.  Select  the  correct  word  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  A  number  of  price  lists  {have,  has)  been  printed. 

2.  Three-fourths  of  the  soil  {isAare)  unfit  for  cultivation. 

3.  A  profusion  of  wild  flowers  (was,  were)  used  to  decorate  her  grave. 

4.  An  abundance  of  material  for  a  thrilling  novel  {is,  are)  at  hand. 

5.  An  abundance  of  peaches  {was,  were)  raised  in  that  orchard. 

6.  A  variety  of  pleasing  airs  {was^^ere)  sting  by  the  composer. 

7.  Two- thirds  of  the  men  {jvas,  were)  employed. 

8.  The  number  of  pupils  absent  {wasl\were)  small. 

9.  This  is  one  of  the  best  apples  that  {has,)have)  been  placed  on  exhibition. 

10.  This  is  the  only;  one  of  the  horses  that  {is ^  are)  available. 

11.  One  of  the  cities  which  {wa,s,  were)  built  still  {retnain\remains) . 

12.  In  virtue  and  charity,  C*^)  j^*)  found  happiness. 

13.  To  praise  goodness  and  to  "act  evilly  {mark)mark/)  a  base  mind. 

14.  Here  {cotne;  comes)  Mary  and  Jane,  but  where  {have^ftas)  Tom  and  Harry  gone. 

15.  A  number  of  boys  {was,  were)  rewarded  for  bravery. 

16.  Each  of  the  men  {claim,  claims)  that  {he,  they)  {is,  are)  iimocent. 

17.  What  sounds  {have,  \has)  each  of  the  vowels? 

18.  Mary,  when  {was,  vjgre)  you  given  that  flower? 

19.  There  {are,  is)  several  reasons  why  you  should  improve  your  time. 

20.  {Was,  were)  either  of  the  young  men  considered  guilty? 

21.  Will  one  of  you  young  men  lend  me  {his}  their, (your)  watch? 

22.  Plenty  of  nuts  {are,  is)  to  be  found  under  the  trees. 

23.  She  is  one  of  three  young  ladies  {who,  whom!)  I  believe  {is,  are)  sure  to  suit  you. 

24.  There  {are^  is)  more  than  one  error  in  his  work. 

25.  Neither  of  the  young  ladies  {haveAias)  been  excused. 

133,  An  expression  consisting  of  an  asserting  word  followed  by  an 
adjective  complement  or  by  a  participle  used  as  an  adjective  may  be  mis- 
taken for  a  verb  in  the  passive  voice;  as,  The  hat  was  torn  by  the  dog. 
Was  torn,  passive  voice.  The  coat  was  badly  torn.  Torn,  adjective 
complement. 

To  determine  whether  such  words  are  verbs  or  complements,  see 
whether  the  verb  may  be  followed  by  by  before  the  name  of  the  agent  with- 
out changing  the  sense.  If  so  the  word  is  part  of  the  verb.  The  man 
was  kicked  by  what?  The  horse.  The  horse  was  tired.   By  what?    No  agent. 


74  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Exercise  43 
134.  Tell  which  of  the  following  completed  predicates  may  be  treated 
as  verbs  and  which  as  followed  by  aa.  attribute : 

1.  The  lady  i^  accomplished. 

2.  The  task  was  accomplished  in  an  hour. 

3.  Are  you\determined  to  go?     A- /.^x '■"'"' 

4.  Dinner  was  soon  served.  0  Q 

5.  You  areVnistaken. 

6.  A  shadow  was  mistaken  for  a  foot-bridge. 

7.  The  man  was  drunk  before  the  wine  was  drunl 

8.  The  boy  was  hurt. 

9.  He  is  writing  a  letter. 

10.  Stars  have  disappeared. 

11.  Suns  have  been  discovered. 

12.  Spring  has  come. 

13.  The  danger  might  have  been  avoided. 

14.  She  is  singing. 

15.  Has  it  been  decided? 

^  LESSON  35-Modiflcalion  of  the  Verb 

^^^35,  Voice  is  that  form  of  expression  in  the  use  of  the  transitive  verb 
which  shows  whether  the  subject  of  the  verb  is  acting  or  is  the  thing  acted 
upon. 

1.  The  Active  Voice  shows  the  subject  as  acting;  as,  John  struck  the 
dog. 

2.  The  Passive  Voice  shows  that  the  subject  is  acted  upon;  as,  The 
dog  was  struck  by  John. 

When  a  verb  in  the  active  voice  is  changed  to  the  passive  voice,  the 
object  becomes  the  subject,  and  the  subject  becomestheobjectof  a  prepo- 
sition. Willie  threw  the  ball. — (Active.)  The  ball  was  thrown  by 
Willie. — (Passive.) 

The  verb  is  rendered  passive  by  the  use  of  some  form  of  the  verb  be. 

Passive  verbs,  like  copulative  verbs,  have  the  same  case  after  them  as 
before  them  when  both  words  refer  to  the  same  thing;  as.  The  child  was 
named  Wesley. 

Exercise  44 

136,  Change  the  voice  in  the  following  without  changing  the  mean- 
ing, then  diagram  the  sentence; 

1.  That  tribunal  pronounced  Charles  a  tyrant. 

2.  The  town  nicknamed  him  "Beau  Seymour." 

3.  Even  silent  night  proclaims  my  soul  immortal. 

4.  He  was  refused  admittance  by  the  porter. 

5.  They  were  refused  protection  by  the  officers. 

6.  He  told  me  to  leave  the  room. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  75 

7.  I  taught  the  child  to  read, 

8.  The  ship  was  wrecked. 

9.  I  offered  him  money. 

10.  The  eagle  caught  the  fish. 

11.  The  bird  was  shot  by  the  hunter. 

12.  The  man  bought  the  horse. 

13.  The  man  has  caught  the  bear. 

14.  The  village  master  taught  his  little  school. 

15.  We  named  him  John. 

137,  Mode  is  the  manner  in  which  the  verb  in  the  sentence  asserts  the 
action  or  being. 

1.  The  Indicative  Mode  asserts  the  action  or  being  as  a  fact.  The 
assertion  may  be  in  the  form  of  a  declaration  or  an  interrogation;  as,  The 
wise  boy  carefully  prepares  his  English  lesson.  Does  the  preparation  of 
the  lesson  benefit  the  boy? 

2.  The  Potential  Mode  denotes  power,  possibility,  liberty,  etc.;  as, 
He  can  learn.     He  may  learn, 

3.  The  Subjunctive  Mode  is  rapidly  going  out  of  use,  but  a  few  of 
its  original  forms  are  retained.  A  certain  prominent  author  has  this  to 
say  of  it:  "The  subjunctive  mode  is  a  tmiversal  stumbling  block."  No- 
body seems  to  understand  it  although  almost  ever^-body  pretends  to  use  it. 
At  the  best  it  gives  a  sentence  an  air  of  pedantry,  if  not  of  affectation. 
A  few  of  the  most  commonly  accepted  forms  are  quoted  below: 

If  the  earth  were  flat,  (it  is  not)  men  could  not  have  sailed  around  it. 
Used  to  imply  that  the  contrary  of  the  statement  tnade  in  the  sentence  is 
true,  not  the  statement  itself.  If  I  were  you. — \JI  could  not  be.)  If  he 
were  living. — (He  isn't),  etc. 

138     Tense  is  the  time  of  the  action  or  being  expressed  by  the  verb. 

I.  The  tenses  of  the  indicative  mode  are  the  present,  the  past,  the 
future,  the  present  perfect,  the  past  perfect,  and  the  futtu-e  perfect. 

The  tenses  of  this  mode  are  formed: 

By  using  the  simple  form  of  the  verb  for  the  present  tense;  as,  He 
learns.     He  sees. 

By  using  the  past  form  of  the  verb  for  the  past  tense ;  as.  He  learned. 
He  saw. 

By  using  the  present  form  of  the  verb  with  shall  or  will  for  the  future 
tense;  as.  He  will  learn.     He  will  see. 

By  using  the  past  partciple  of  the  verb  with  have  or  has  for  the 
present  perfect :  as,  He  has  learned.     He  lias  seen. 

By  using  past  participle  of  the  verb  had  for  the  past  perfect  tense ; 
as,  He  had  learned.    He  had  seen. 

By  using  the  past  participle  of  the  verb  with  shall  have  or  will  have  for 
the  future  perfect  tense;  as,  He  unll  liave  learned.     He  wUl  have  seen. 


76  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

2.  The  potential  mode  has  four  tenses.  The  present,  the  past,  the 
present  perfect  and  the  past  perfect. 

Use  may,  can,  or  must  with  the  present  form  of  the  verb  for  the  present 
tense. 

Use  might,  could,  would  or  should  with  the  present  form  of  the  verb 
for  the  past  tense. 

Use  may  have,  must  have,  or  can  have  with  the  past  participle  of  the 
verb  for  the  present  perfect  tense. 

Use  might  have,  could  have,  would  have  or  should  have  with  the  past 
participle  of  the  verb  for  the  past  perfect  tense. 

139,  Synopsis: 

Indicative  Mode  Potential  Mode 

Present  tense                    He  loves  He  can  love. 

Past  tense                         He  loved.  He  could  lave. 
Future  tense                •     He  will  love. 

Present  perfect  tense       He  has  loved  He  can  have  loved 

Past  perfect  tense            He  had  loved  He  could  have  loved. 
Future  perfect  tense        He  will  have  loved. 

140,  Use  shall  with  the  first  person,  and  will  with  the  second  and 
third  person  to  express  something  that  is  probable  to  happen. 

Use  will  with  the  first  person,  and  shall  with  the  second  and  third 
person  to  express  a  determination  or  a  promise. 

Determination  Probability 

I  will  I  shall 

We  will  We  shall 

He  shall  He  will 

She  shall  She  will 

They  shall  They  will 

In  asking  a  question  shall  should  always  be  used  with  the  subjects 
/  and  we.     With  other  subjects  use  the  auxiliary  expected  in  the  answer. 
Justify  use  of  shall  and  will  in  the  following  conversation: 
He.     "Shall  you  visit  the  city  today?" 
She.     "I  shall  go  this  afternoon." 

He.  "It  looks  like  rain.  Perhaps  you  would  better  defer  your  visit  to  some 
other  time." 

She.     "I  have~an  important  engagement,  and  I  will  go  rain  or  shine." 

He.     "Shall  you  go  alone?" 

She.     "No.     I  shall  take  Murill  with  me." 

He.     "Will  you  promise  to  take  a  taxicab  if  it  rains?" 

She.     "I  will." 

Exercise  45 

141,  Select  the  proper  auxiliary  in  the  following  sentences: 
1.  I  (shall,  will)  never  speak  to  him  again,  never. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  77 

2.  "He  {shall,  will)  pick  up  that  paper  or  I  {shall,  will)  punish  hitn."  said  the 
teacher. 

3.  Help !     The  boat  {shall,  will)  upset,  no  one  {shall,  will)  help  us,  and  we  {shall, 
wiU)  be  drowned. 

4.  I  think  it  {shall,  will)  rain  soon. 

5.  {Shall,  will)  I  get  the  book  for  you?     If  you  {will,  shall)  be  so  kind. 

6.  You  {will,  shall)  be  in  London  then. 

7.  He  {shall,  will)  do  as  he  pleases  anyhow. 

8.  Oh  Dear!     I  {shall,  will)  never  see  him  again. 

9.  He  {will,  shall)  not  strike  the  dog;  I  promise  you. 

10.  They  {shall,  will)  go  to  school;  I  {will,  shall)  not  allow  them  to  grow  up  i» 
ignorance. 

11.  We  {shall,  will)  endeavor  to  do  all  we  can. 

12.  He  thinks  he  {shall,  will)  be  admitted  to  the  bar. 

13.  She  {shall,  will)  not  attend  the  wedding  on  account  of  ill  health. 

14.  The  boat  {shall,  will)  upset  and  we  {shall,  will)  be  drowned. 

15.  No  one  {shall,  will)  help  me,  I  {shall,  will)  be  drowned. 

16.  They  {shall,  will)  be  punished. 

17.  My  friends  {shall,  will)  be  present. 

18.  I  {shall,  will)  be  pleased  to  lend  you  the  book.     I  am  sure  you  {shall,  will) 
find  it  interesting.        ^_^   t,      _  <.   /^   <-  / 


nc  K 

LESSON  36— The  Inflnitiye— Tense  Relations 

142.  The  Infinitive  has  two  tenses — the  present,  and  the  past. 

The  present  infinitive  by  means  of  adverbial  modifiers  may  be  made  to 
express  present,  past  or  future  time;  as,  He  ought  to  go  now.  He  was 
obliged  to  go  yesterday.     I  advised  him  to  go  tomorrow. 

The  present  perfect  infinitive  denotes  past  time  only. 

Care  should  be  taken  that  the  tense  of  the  infinitive  corresponds  to 
the  time  of  action  expressed  by  the  principal  verb  in  the  sentence. 

Caution :  Do  not  use  the  past  tense  of  the  infinitive  in  correspondence 
with  the  perfect  tense  of  the  principal  verb.  Say,  I  should  have  liked  to 
see  you;  or,  I  should  like  to  have  seen  you.  Do  not  say,  I  should  have  liked 
to  have  seen  you  unless  some  specific  time  is  stated. 

Correct  the  form  of  the  infinitive  where  necessary  in  the  following 
sentences : 

1.  He  wished  to  have  seen  you. 

2.  She  appeared  to  be  happy.  '.^^:^-'-- 

3.  I  was  thankful  to  be  bom  in  America.  '  (-?>.  i\ 

4.  This  notice  ought  to  have  been  published  tomorrow.^   Q^^^-t/^^ 

5.  This  poem  ought  to  have  appeared  yesterday. 

6.  We  should  like  to  have  seen  the  "Newsboys'  Feast." 

7.  I  should  like  to  have  met  you  before  my  brother's  departure, 

8.  We  believe  the  box  tooe  Opened  by  the  wrong  person. 

9.  They  would  have  liked  to  have  been  at  the  social. 
10.  We  had  hoped  to  have  seen  you  before  we  left. 


78  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Review  Exercise  46 

143,  Select  the  correct  word  from  those  in  the  parenthesis  and  make 
all  other  necessary  corrections  in  the  following  sentences: 

1.  There  (come,  comes)  John  and  Prof.  Arnold  his  instructor  to  visit  my  sister 
and  (7,  me). 

2.  John  is  older  than  (7,  me)  but  I  can  run  fastest. 

3.  Mary  is  not  {so,  as)  large  as  her  sister^but  she  is  the  (best,  better)  reader. 

4.  John  is  not  (as,  so)  old  as  Tom  but  he  is  taller  than  (he,  him). 

5.  Twenty  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  (wa's^  were)  destroyed  and  twenty  lives 
(was,  were)  lost  (in,  by)  that  fire. 

6.  The  boys  as  well  as  their  mother  (was,  were)  hurt  in  the  wreck. 

7.  Neither/ the  mother  (nor,  or)  her  daughters  (were,  was)  satisfied  that  it  was 
my  brother  and  (mei  I)  who  assisted  them. 

8.  Mary  Brown  and  her  motheT(have,  has)  invited  my  brother  and  (7,  me)  to 
attend  the  party  but  neither  my  brother  (or,  nor)  (I,  me)  can  go. 

9.  We  (saw,  seen)  mayor "t-m  brown^ chairman  of  the  republican  committee  at 
the  reception  of  the  visiting  members. 

LESSON  37-Duniiing-Letters 

144-.  These  are  letters  requesting  the  payment  of  money  or  the  ad- 
justing of  accounts^  They  require  the  exercise  of  great  care  and  good 
judgment,  for  they  should  be  written  in  such  form  that  they  will  accom- 
plish their  purpose  without  giving  offense.  Circumstances  may  require 
that  dunning-letters  be  rather  severe  in  their  terms,  but  they  never  should 
be  discourteous  nor  offensive.  The  character  of  a  dunning-letter  will,  of  course, 
depend  upon  the  nature  of  the  case.  Remember  you  can  best  appeal  to 
an  honest  man  or  woman  who  is  short  of  money,  by  sympathetic  argument. 

When  the  payment  is  not  made  at  the  proper  time,  three  or  four  letters 
are  generally  used,  the  first  a  simple,  brief  request,  the  second  a  longer 
and  stronger  letter,  and  third  a  threat  to  place  the  account  in  the  hands 
of  an  attorney  or  collection  agency. 

Demands  for  settlement  of  accounts  should  not  be  written  upon 
postal  cards,  as  it  might  render  the  writer  liable  for  damages.  The  postal 
laws  prohibit  the  writing  of  anything  upon  a  postal  card  or  upon  an  en- 
velope that  reflects  injuriously  upon  the  character  or  conduct  of  another. 

The  following  is  a  terse  and  somewhat  discourteous  form  of  dunning- 
letter. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Harvey,  Berkeley,   Cal.,   May   2,    191 2. 

Oakland,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

Your  account  is  now  long  past  due.  We  cannot  allow  accounts  to 
run  longer  than  sixty  days,  and  yours  has  gone  beyond  the  limit.  Please 
remit  by  return  mail.  Yours  truly, 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  7^ 

The  foregoing  letter  might  secure  payment  of  the  account,  but  it  would 
be  liable  to  give  offense.     Compare  this  letter  with  the  following  form: 

861  Canal  St.,  Sacramento,  Cal.,  June  16,  1912. 
Mr,  Wilson  Barnes, 

Chico,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir: 

You  will  please  pardon  us  for  calling  your  attention  to  the  balance 
due  on  your  account,  Si 8 5. 00,  which  is  now  past  due.  We  regret  exceed- 
ingly to  be  compelled  to  tirge  you  to  make  a  settlement  at  the  earliest 
possible  date. 

The  goods  were  sold  you  on  60  days'  time,  and  as  our  terms  are  in- 
flexible, and  as  the  account  is  now  somewhat  overdue,  we  must  insist 
upon  an  immediate  settlement. 

I  believe  you  will  appreciate  the  situation,  and  will  favor  us  with  a 
prompt  remittance. 

Yours  respectfully. 

Notice  that  the  wording  of  first  letter  is  so  curt  as  to  offend  the  reader, 
instead  of  persuading  him  to  pay  the  amount,  while  the  second  is  cour- 
teous throughout,  and  yet  firm  enough  to  get  the  money  in  many  cases. 

Notice  that  the  writer  of  the  first  letter  did  not  mention  the  amount 
due.     It  is  important  that  the  amount  be  named  in  a  letter  of  this  kind. 

Manly,  dignified,  and  unlabored  courtesy  is  the  quality  which  gives 
finish  to  the  business  letter  and  commands  respect. 

Write  a  letter  to  Mr.  R.  D.  Norton,  531  High  St.,  Sonera,  Cal.  Call 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  his  account  amounting  to  $125.00  has  been 
due  for  four  months.  Remind  him  of  your  having  sent  him  several  state- 
ments which  seem  to  have  been  overlooked  by  him.  Tell  him  that  you 
have  a  number  of  heavy  bills  falling  due  the  first  of  the  month,  which  you 
will  be  unable  to  meet  unless  your  outstanding  accounts  are  paid  promptly. 
Say  that  if  he  finds  it  inconvenient  to  pa,y  it  all  just  now,  you  would  be 
glad  to  receive  half  the  amount  at  once,  and  the  remainder  as  soon  as 
possible.  Express  the  hope  that  he  may  realize  the  seriousness  of  your 
financial  condition  and  that  he  may  make  a  complete  settlement  soon. 

Assume  that  you  are  R.  D.  Norton.  Write  a  letter  in  answer  to  the 
letter  written  in  Subject  No.  i.  You  have  found  that  you  can  pay  a  part 
of  the  amount  you  owe,  $25.00.  Enclose  your  check  for  the  amount  you 
can  pay  at  this  time.  Say  when  you  will  pay  the  remainder.  Remember 
that  your  are  assuming  that  your  creditor  will  grant  to  you  the  exten- 
sion of  time  asked  for,  and  therefore  you  should  not  fail  to  express  appre- 
ciation of  the  expected  favor. 


8o  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

145,  Answer  the  following  questions  in  writing  and  submit  to  yotir 
teacher : 

1.  On  what  occasion  is  it  allowable  to  sign  a  business  letter  Yours 
cordially? 

2.  When,  Yours  sincerely? 

3.  Why  is  Remington  Typewriter  capitalized? 
•     4.  Why  not  capitalize  shift  key? 

5.  Which  is  correct,  The  Turner  Mfg.  Co.  or  The  Turjier  Manufac- 
turing Company? 

6.  Why  is  no  period  required  after  Feb'y?     What  is  this  called? 

7.  Why  is  the  apostrophe  required? 

8.  Is  it  proper  to  begin  a  sentence  with  figures? 

9.  If  a  word  of  slang  is  used  in  a  sentence,  how  is  it  indicated? 

10.  Should  a  stenographer  leave  her  employer's  private  letters  lying 
around  where  the  inquisitive  may  have  a  chance  to  read  them? 

1 1 .  Does  the  stenographer  have  the  right  to  take  her  note-book  from 
the  office  and  divulge  its  contents  to  an  outsider? 

12.  Should  the   stenographer  use  an  expensive  letterhead  for  carboa 
copy  or  second  sheet? 

13.  When  letters  are  left  on  the  dictator's  desk,  how  should  they  be 
placed?  — — — , .— — — ~^.   -^ 

LESSON  38-Choice  and  Use  of  Words 

1 46.  To  become  proficient  in  language  a  person  must,  first  of  all, 
have  at  command  a  good  working  vocabulary.  Therefore,  a  painstaking 
effort  to  select  and  use  the  best  words  to  express  ideas  should  be  our  aim. 

From  words  of  equal  meaning  and  propriety,  always  select  the  shortest, 

if  you  would  express  yourself  with  the  greatest  simplicity,  directness,  and 

force. 

We  quote  from  Isaac  Pitman  &  Sons'  "Style  Book  of  Business  English" 

the  following  letter  which  is  a  genuine  advertisement  and  a  remarkable 

illustration  of  the  use  and  strength  of  short  words : 
Dear  Sir: 

If  we  could  get  you  to  try  on  a  pair  of  our  shoes  we  wouldn't 
have  to  talk  to  you  any  more. 

Here's  a  shoe  that  your  feet  want.  There  is  no  rubber  shoe  dis- 
comfort— there  can  be  no  perspiring  and  chafing  of  the  feet ;  it  is 
easy  to  wear  because  it  is  light — and  it  never  makes  a  sore  joint. 

You  get  complete  protection  where  you  want  it — over  the  sole 
and  the  seam  between  sole  and  upper.  No  useless  rubber  to  carry 
and  to  make  an  air-tight  case  for  your  feet  to  perspire  in. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 


8i 


Stick  to  the  shoe?  Of  course,  more  tightly  than  any  old-style 
rubber  ever  made. 

Now  look  at  the  fit  of  it — that  means  you  have  a  stylish  shoe, 
something  no  one  ever  claimed  for  the  old  rubber. 

They  are  made  for  men  and  women. 

Every  good  shoeman  carries  them.  If  you  cannot  get  a  pair, 
write  us  and  we  will  send  you  our  booklet,  "Good  News  for  Your 
Feet,"  and  tell  you  how  to  get  a  pair. 

Yours  truly, 
147.  Study  the  following  pairs  of  synonyms: 


led 

induced 

agent 

representative 

got' 

obtained 

sad 

melancholy 

done 

effected 

very 

exceedingly 

hard 

difficult 

leave 

permission 

wish 

desire 

talk 

conversation 

fine 

excellent 

think 

contemplate 

do^ 

accomplish 

cease 

discontinue 

plenty 

abundance 

vague 

ambiguous 

Exercise  47 

1 48,  Copy  the  following  words  and  write  beside  each  of  them  a  short 
synonym.     Consult  the  dictionaxy  when  necessary: 

monotonous    »*'"*T*'^'*'^'^J^hilosophical  -%syyyir^    •Nourishment 
notification  /4^^^^'*'*'^'^^'^^onsiderate  CA**>l-^*vA;'*'Occurrence 
obliterate   .£,^^'^tjL«'<-A-^       unquestionable  ClAy{^m)*^connt&rieit 
antiquated   }\d^^^<-^i         »^indignation     fl/'w/^-*^*     untoistakable 
obligation  -Si^^r.-'C^A/jy^        extraordinary^  *^*v<jjr^'**''*T)arricade    - 
spontaneous ''^'^^'■^^'^''^T^'^t^tentation  ■x)c[^i^'*V**5^  imperfection 
diminutive  *<r*y^-^yj^      commendation CW'^'l^l!'^    .parsimonious 
insinuation  "Tvvip'V/  amusement  _./y*'»*^  /partnership 

^pertormance-*v^it/^^^l/(P\  ^immediately  /vxjpT  AW*^*J»^Sillanimous 
6isreputablej7,^^0^'\<,^(,(_,,^-|<perspicuous    Y^''^^*^X^       aristocratic 
quintessence  -^Mfl^d^  compassionate  j^''^^^J'        arrangement 

transcription  CiXh^i''^      recreation    ^>^»-*-l/T  controversy  - 

149,  We  give  here  a€ew  rules  and  suggestions  for  dividing  words 
printing  and  writing: 

I .  A  syllable  consisting  of  one  letter  should  not  stand  on  a  line  by  itself. 
-*     2 .  In  penwritten  work  it  is  better  never  to  divide  a  word  unless  it  is  long. 
,  3.  Each  syllable  must  contain  a  vowel. 

4.  Short  words  like  fxit,  hero,  first,  or  words  pronounced  as  one  syllable, 
SkS,  changed,  drcmmed,  etc.,  should  never  be  divided. 

5.  In  words  having  prefixes  or  suffixes  the  root-word  should  remain 
unchanged;  as,  east-em,  cart-er,  sweet-ish,  etc. 

6.  Never  divide  a  syllable.     When  in  doubt,  consult  the  dictionary. 


82  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Exercise  48 

150,  Divide  the  following  words  into  syllables: 

Dancing,  business,  gimlet,  willing,  councilor,  capture,  marriage,  vengeance 
fountain,  allegiance,  language,  veranda,  fortune,  servant,  progress,  Wednesday, 
benefited,  stories,  process,  traveler,  generally,  syllables,  possible,  expression, 
monopoly,  simplest,  mutually,  whispered,  magazine,  attacked,  preface,  menace 
architecture,    stoves,   photograph,  children,  neither. 

Exercise  49 

151,  After  consulting  the  dictionary  write  original  sentences,  illustrat- 
ing the  correct  use  of  the  following  words: 

Commensurate,    avarice,    sordid,    prudence,    emoluments,    enhance, 

abeyance,  abscond,  accrue,  acme^__^ T5'7il,nc^^J^*i^tAva-^<W* 

Exercise  50 

1  52,  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  substituting  a  short  synonym  for 
each  of  the  words  indicated : 

1.  He  tried  to  calumniate  the  man's  good  name. 

2.  They  were  allowed  an  abatement  of  ten  per  cent. 

3.  I  abominate  this  kind  of  weather.  Xify 

4.  We  will  abrogate  the  old  contract  and  consummate  a  new  one. 

5.  Please  make  me  an  accurate  copy  of  this  letter. 

6.  The  peoplayhave  an  abt^ndance  qjf  food . 

7.  I  a^howledge  that  I  was  wrong  in  the  matter.) 

8.  He  expresses  himself  with  great  perspicuity  and  force. 

9.  A  o6fycbXyfatio'nf)i  the  two  societies  was  affected  last  night.      ,' 
10.  The  father  gave  his  acqiii'escftlce  to  his  daughter's  marriage.'  7 

^  LESSON  39 -Errors  to  be  Avoided 

153,  Do  not  use  this  here,  and  that  there  for  this  and  that.  Say, 
that  book,  not  that  there  book.  Say,  this  sentence,  not  this  here 
sentence. 

1.  Do  not  use  them  as  an  adjective.  i^2iy,thosehodk.s,notthemhodks. 

2.  Use  this  and  that  with  singular  nouns,  and  these  and  those  with 
plural  nouns.  Say,  I  don't  like  that  sort  of  apples,  not  those  sort  or 
those  kind. 

3.  Use  each  other  to  show  reciprocal  relations  between  two  persons  or 
things;  one  another,  among  more  than  two.  Say,  These  two  people  help 
each  other.     Those  three  people  distrust  one  another. 

4.  Place  adjectives  and  adverbs  so  they  will  modify  the  term  intended. 
Say,  I  bought  a  pair  of  new  shoes,  not,  a  new  pair  of  shoes.  Say, 
I  went  only  to  the  postoffice,  if  you  mean  you  went  nowhere  else. 

5.  When  an  adjective  is  necessarily  plural  the  noun  it  limits  is  plural. 
Say,  ten  tons  of  coal,  not  ten  ton  of  coal. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  83 

6.  Place  modifiers  so  as  to  give  strength,  clearness,  and  euphony  to 
the  sentence.     Practice  sentence  construction  to  that  end. 

7.  Do  not  compare  adjectives  whose  meaning  will  not  admit  of  in- 
crease or  diminution.     Not  a  rounder  ball,  but  a  more  nearly  round  ball. 

8.  Do  not  use  double  comparatives  or  superlatives.  Do  not  say, 
A  more  dishanester  man,  or  use  similar  expressions. 

9.  Do  not  attempt  to  better  a  fatdty  construction  by  worse  punctua- 
tion ;  as,  in  the  following  sentence :  A  young  couple  from  the  East  bought 
a  beautiful  residence  from  a  real  estate  agent,  that  had  a  large  bay  window 
in  front.  It  shotdd  read  as  follows :  A  young  couple  from  the  East  bought 
from  a  real  estate  agent  a  beautifid  residence  that  had  a  large  bay  window 
in  front. 

ID.  Avoid  the  use    of    got    to    denote  posesssion.  Say,  I   have   a 
position;  not,  I  got  a  position. 

Exercise  51 
154.  Correct  the  errors  in  the  following  sentences,  giving  reasons  for 
your  corrections: 

1.  He  ordered  a  fried  dish  of  bacon. 

2.  All  metals  are  less  useful  than  iron. 

3.  Everyone  of  the  three  have  expressed  their  willingness  to  help  each  other. 

4.  Them  there  hogs  is  more  fatter  than  these  here. 

5.  John  found  a  black  ladys  hand-bag. 

6.  This  is  a  more  perfect  specimen  than  that. 

7.  He  don't  like  those  kind  of  people. 

8.  Texas  is  larger  than  any  state  in  the  Union. 

9.  There  goes  the  thief  and  his  accomplice,  and  here  come  the  sheriff  with  his 
posse,  searching  for  them. 

Select  the  correct  word  in  the  following  sentences: 

10.  A  variety  of  flowers  {make,  makes)  a  pretty  garden. 

11.  Patience  and  diligence  {remove,  removes)  mountains. 

12.  My  poverty,  but  not  my  will,  {consent,  consents). 

13.  Each  man,  each  woman,  and  each  child  {knows,  know)  the  hour. 

14.  The  father,  as  weU  as  his  sons,  {enjoy,  enjoys)  the  sport. 

15.  Let  Mary  and  (7,  me)  go  to  the  board,  teacher. 

16.  Every  boy  {has,  have)  use  for  {their,  his)  own  book. 
17.1  am  the  man  who  {is,  am)  able  to  help  you. 

18.  Either  he  or  I  {am,  is,  are)  to  be  appointed. 

19.  A  number  of  settlers  {was,  were)  driven  from  their  homes. 

LESSON  40— Courteously  Worded  Letters 

166,  Assume  that  you  are  manager  of  a  business  college  in  your  city, 
that  you  had  a  young  man,  named  Richard  Holmes,  apply  to  you  for  a 
course  in  bookkeeping.     He  did  not  have  enough  money  to  pay  for  the 


84  '       Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

entire  term,  bat  he  seemed  so  anxious  to  succeed  that  you  took  his  note 
for  $50.00.  He  finished  his  school  work  and  was  empk)yed  by  a  firm  to 
which  you  sent  him.  He  has  now  been  working  for  about  six  months,  but 
has  not  offered  to  make  a  payment  of  any  amount  on  his  note.  "Write 
him  a  letter  in  care  of  the  N.  C.  Judson  Company  of  San  Francisco,  Calif- 
ornia, asking  for  a  settlement. 

Remember  that  courtesy  in  either  a  written  or  verbal  transaction  draws 
people  together.  It  creates  a  feeling  of  mutual  respect  and  contributes 
much  to  the  right  adjustment  of  the  worst  difficulties.  You  cannot  afford 
to  be  anything  but  kind  and  courteous,  for  there  is  nothing  else  in  the 
whole  range  of  human  affairs  that  will  bring  you  greater  dividends.  There- 
fore, in  writing  the  letter  as  directed  above,  keep  in  mind  this  essential 
feature,  for  the  absence  of  kindly  courtesy  in  a  letter  of  this  character 
reduces  it  to  a  matter  of  cold-blooded  indifference. 

Exercise  52 
156.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  substituting  single  words  for  the 

phrases  and  clauses: 

i.  In  accordance  with  this,  education  is  becoming  the  work  of  nations. 

2.  Persistent  effort  succeeds  in  doing  anything. 

3.  The  wind  which  never  ceases  blows  a  blast  that  is  keen  tonight. 

4.  Goods  which  are  manufactured  in  England  are  usually  of  a  superior  quality. 

5.  People  who  are  disposed  to  be  indolent  ^o  not  often  succeed. 

r      6.  All  at  once  we  espied  a  man  of  diminutive  stature  walking  with- great  rapidity  ) 
toward  the  place  where  we  were  standing. 

7.  He  secured  the  old  man's  signature  by  means  ^t  were  based  on  fraud. 

8.  His  voice  was  hud  enough  to  be  heard.    ,,>u>V;ct^ "ft^t'^'l^"""'^^  ' 

9.  There  were  no  railroads  at  that  time. 

10.  The  deer  sprang  in  haste  from  his  bed  of  grass.  ^ 

11.  We  sailed  on  the  river  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  rrY^/^Ai.  OU^  '^''""''^ 

12.  A  man  of  courage  does  not  fear  death.  %CiXyV\M 

13.  We  shall  stop  at  this  place  today. 

14.  The  size  of  the  crops  was  increased  by  watering  the  soil  artificially. 

15.  There  was  no  cause  that  was  apparent  for  his  delay.  ,i 

16.  The  man  that  is  wise  is  the  man  of  years.  ^  ^     _  /.jJ.'^'Ll 

17.  These  are  expressions  of  the  same  class.  '' " "  ' 

18.  He  was  an  actor  in  comedy. 

19.  They  concluded  to  do  away  with  single  entry  bookkeeping.  ^. 

20.  He  was  an  associate  with  him  in  crime.  y  m.'.v  yi'i--  ^>^'P^^^^  ^''*^ 

21.  He  is  a  person  who  keeps  books.  '^ 

22.  He  is  well  known  by  his  being  accurate.  "  ^  '^z'^- 

23.  When  we  are  met  with  severe  trials  and  misfortunes  we  should  try  to  be  braTB. 

24.  He  worked  in  opposition  to  the  new  party. 

25.  The  art  of  recording  business  transactums  is  taught  to  a  large  extent  in  oat 
echocls  that  teach  commercial  subjects. 

26.  He  was  deranged  in  mind. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  85 

Exercise  53 

157.  In  the  following  sentences  choose  the  proper  word,  remember- 
mg  that  good  is  usually  an  adjective,  and  well,  an  adverb: 

1.  That  work  was  done  {good,  well)  enough  for  anybody. 

2.  This  pen  is  so  poor  that  I  ca,n't  write  (good/well). 

3.  Does  the  candy  taste  (good,)iveir)7 

4.  I  feel  pretty  (good,  well)  today. 

5.  She  likes  these  pictures  very  (good,  well). 

6.  I  think  Fannie  looks  (good)  well)  in  her  black  dress. 

7.  She  sings  very  (good,  well). 

8.  He  did  his  work  very  (good,iWelT). 

9.  This  typewriter  does  not  wo-k  very  (goocft  welt) . 

10.  She  does  not  make  her  shorthand  notes  very  (good^^iveU). 

11.  The  music  did  not  sound  very  (good^  welt). 

12.  I  cannot  see  very  (good,  well)  with  these  glasses. 

13.  The  bicycle  does  not  run  (good)  welt). 

14.  To  write  (goodJwell)  one  must  assume  an  easy  position. 

15.  He  talked    ^ood  %velt)  for  a  young  man. 

16.  This  paper  does  not  look  (g  od)  welt)  with  this  color  of  ink. 

17.  The  mimeograph  does  not  work  (good^  welt). 

Exercise  54 

158.  After  consulting  the  dictionary  write  original  sentences  illus- 
trating the  correct  use  of  the  following  words: 

Premonition,  incumbent,  invoke,  convene,  abatement,  acrimony, 
actuate,  allege,  alleviate,  antidote. 

LESSON   41-Letter  of  Complaint 

159,  You  sent  the  Bancroft- Whitney  Company,  Chicago,  111.,  an  order 
for  goods  requesting  them  to  ship  not  later  than  .......  They  acknowl- 
edged receipt  of  the  order,  but  it  is  now and  neither  the  shippers' 

receipt  nor  the  goods  have  arrived.  This  delay  has  caused  you  to  break 
faith  with  some  of  your  best  customers,  and  you  should  have  had  at  least 
a  letter  from  them  telling  why  the  goods  were  not  shipped  promptly. 

Unless  the  goods  arrive  by you  cannot  accept  them  under  any 

condition. 

160,  Write  a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  Bancroft- Whitney  Company, 
setting  forth  the  above  facts.  Keep  in  mind  that  courtesy  and  clearness 
are  the  most  essential  qualities  of  a  good  letter.  Rudeness,  curtness,  and 
sarcasm,  are  even  more  inexcusable  in  writing  than  they  are  in  conver- 
sation. 

In  writing  to  this  firm  the  letter  suggested,  you  will  be  justified  in  ex- 
pressing yourself  forcibly;  for  to  lose  some  of  your  best  customers,  to  say 


^-z 


86  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

nothing  about  the  profit  on  the  sale  of  the  goods,  is  no  small  matter,  and 
yet  this  firm  may  not  have  received  your  order.  Therefore,  you  shotdd 
remember  that  courteous  language,  clearly  expressed  and  to  the  point,  is 
always  the  most  forceful  and  impressive. 

Exercise  55 

161,  Justify  the  use  of  the  posesssive  sign  in  the  following: 

1.  In  answer  to  your  advertisement  in  this  morning's  paper. 

2.  I  have  had  six  months'  experience. 

3.  He  lost  a  year's  salary  in  a  few  weeks'  time. 

4.  I  am  glad  the  day's  work  is  done. 

5.  One  year's  training  would  make  a  capable  stenographer. 

6.  Just  a  minute's  time  is  required. 

7.  Have  you  read  today's  paper? 

8.  Six  months'  interest  is  now  due. 

9.  Two  months'  tuition  was  paid  . 
10.  The  first  quarter's  rent  is  paid. 

Exercise  56 

1 62.  Give  the  rule  for  the  use  of  each  comma  in  the  following  sen- 
tences.    Refer  to  rules  for  use  of  comma : 

1.  Faith,  hope,  and  charity  should  govern  our  lives. 
\.  Sink  or  swim,  live  or  die,  sur /jvc  QL*  perish,  I  am  for  the  Declaration. 

3.  With  a  few  simple  words  of  iaOroO'r.ction,  ihe  orator  began  his  discourse. 

4.  Waiter,  kindly  bring  me  a  glass  of  water. 

5.  One  should  never  forget  the  old  adage,  "Honesty  is  the  best  policy." 

6.  Industry,  energy,  and  good  sense  are  essent'al  to  success. 
CITD  If  you  take  my  advice,  you  will  learn  tp  punctuate .pi;o{)erly. 

8.  You  will,  no  doubt,  follow  my  advifce.'  7| 

9.  First,  let  us  look  at  the  facts.  ^' 

10.  The  sun,  which  is  in  the'  center  of  our  system,  is  millions  of  miles  from  us. 

11.  In  view  of  these  facts,  we  shall  not  advise  you  to  return. 

12.  Mr.  E.  P.   Heald,  president  of   Heald's  Colleges,  has  his  office  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

13.  I  sincerely  trust.  Miss  Bowman,  that  you  will  recognize  the  importance  ot 
securing  a  commercial  training 

14.  Tell  me  with  whom  you  associate,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  you  aro.  j    V),^ 

15.  Goldsmith  says,  "We  should  learn  the  luxury  of  doing  well."     '^  /      j 

16.  Looking  from  my  window,  I  could  see  the  ocean.  ••      "  \   • 

17.  When  one  knows  that  he  is  dishonest,  he  always  suspects  that  others  will 
know  it. 

18.  My  father,  who  is  in  good  health,  is  sixty  years  old. 

19.  As  a  stenographer  in  a  large  firm,  young  man,  you  will  be  in  a  position  to 
know  more  about  that  concern. 

ISJ^  John  Smith,  Sr.,  was  elected  alderman,  dishonestly,  we  think. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  87 

LESSON  42— Letters  Soliciting  Trade 

163.  Of  all  business  letters,  those  soliciting  trade  are  probably  the 
most  important.  They  belong  to  a  class  of  letters  that  are  expected  to 
yield  results  in  dollars  and  cents.  They  shotdd  be  so  composed  as  to  please 
as  well  as  convince.  Letters  of  this  kind  may  be  written  either  in  answer 
to  inquiry  or  as  a  circular  for  general  distribution. 

You  may  asstune  that  you  are  in  charge  of  the  correspondence  of 
Blank's  Business  College  and  that  you  have  received  the  following   letter: 

Modesto,  Cal.,  Oct.  25,  19 12. 
Prin.  Blank's  Business  College, 

,Cal. 

Dear  Sir: 

I  have  been  thinking  about  taking  a  course  in  a  Business  College, 
and  wotdd  be  much  pleased,  to  have  your  latest  catalogue.  I  would,  also, 
like  to  know  what  your  prices  of  tuition  are  and  how  long  it  would  take  me 
to  finish  a  course.  Can  I  take  up  the  work  in  both  the  commercial  and 
stenographic  departments  at  the  same  time,  and  what  is  the  cost  of  board 
and  room  in  your  city  ?     "When  does  the  next  term  begin  ? 

I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  soon. 

Yours  truly, 

(Miss)  Edna  C.  Rogers. 

164.  Answer  the  above  letter.  Keep  in  naind  that  yotir  success  in 
securing  Miss  Rogers  as  a  student  depends  very  largely  on  what  kind  of  a 
letter  you  write.  Very  likely  she  has  written  to  other  schools  and  will 
receive  letters  from  them.  Tell  her  that  you  have  forwarded  under  another 
cover  your  catalogue  and  other  literattire,  and  that  you  trust  she  will 
give  them  her  careful  consideration.  Mention  how  well  your  school  is 
equipped;  the  kind  of  teachers  you  employ;  how  old  and  successftd  your 
school  is;  then  say  something  about  your  methods  being  up-to-date;  and 
your  system  of  shorthand  and  bookkeeping  being  superior  to  all  others. 
Mention  any  other  features  of  your  college  that  you  think  wovdd  help  to 
convince  her  that  your  school  is  the  best. 

Did  Miss  Rogers  capitalize,  spell,  and  punctuate  correctly  in  the  fore- 
going letter? 

165.  Write  answers  to  the  following  questions  and  submit  to  the 
teacher : 

1.  What  is  My  Dear  Sir  called? 

2.  Do  you  capitalize  si.  and  ave.l 

3.  "Why  do  you  capitalize  the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  the 
months? 


88  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

4.  What  is  meant  by  the  use  cwt,  via,  per  M? 

5.  May  a  word  of  one  syllable  be  divided? 

6.  May  you  divide  prayers,  meaning  invocations,  and  prayers,  those 
who  pray? 

7.  Divide  progress,  a  noun,  and  progress,  a  verb. 

8.  Which,  if  any,  of  the  following  divisions  are  correct? 

posit-ion  remitt-ed  confus-ion 

debit-ed  ne-cessary  practic-ally 

9.  How  would  you  divide  each  of  the  following  words: 

Stand,  burned,  generally,  omission,  remainder,  practical,  indicates, 
published,  should,  passed,  succession,  printed? 

10.  Which  is  correct  alright,  all  right,  or  allright? 

11.  How  would  you  indicate  that  a  word  is  to  be  written  or  printed 
in  capitals?     In  italics?     (Study  your  dictionary.) 

Exercise  57 

1 66,  After  consulting  the  dictionary  in  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the 
following  words,  compose  sentences  illustrating  their  use: 

Concession,  irrelevant,  exquisite,  importune,  admonish,  embellish, 
adroit,  counsel,  affable,  primary,  idiomatic,  euphony,  ephemeral. 

-^  LESSON  43— Letters  of  Recommendation 

167.  A  letter  of  recommendation  should  be  deliberate,  truthful, 
decisive.  It  should  apply  clearly  and  definitely  to  the  career  and  capacity 
of  the  person  for  whom  it  is  written  in  so  far  as  they  have  come  within  the 
personal  notice  of  the  writer. 

Letters  of  this  class  are  either  general  or  special.     The  former  are 
addressed  to  the  public  in  general,  and  the  latter  to  individuals.     Study 
the  following  forms: 
To  whom  it  may  concern: 

We  take  pleasure  in  giving  the  bearer.  Miss  Maud  Davis,  this  un- 
qualified endorsement.  Miss  Davis  is  a  capable  and  accurate  stenographer 
and  is  courteous  and  conscientious  in  all  her  work.  She  has  been  in  our 
employ  for  three  years,  and  leaves  on  account  of  the  removal  of  her  family 
to  another  city.  j^^^^  ^    gj^^p^^^ 

West  Coast  Mercantile  Co., 

710  Broadway, 
Oakland,  Cal. 
Gentlemen : 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  July  15,  it  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  say 
that  we  know  Mr.  Turner  to  be  alert  and  diligent,  as  well  as  faithful  in  his 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  89 

duties  and  loyal  to  his  employers.  He  is  a  fine  judge  of  goods  and  has 
done  most  of  the  buying  in  our  dry  goods  department  for  the  past  two 
years. 

We  regret  to  lose  him,  but  the  position  he  seeks  in  your  house  is 
probably  much  better  than  anything  we  have  to  offer,  and  we  hope  that 
you  will  decide  to  employ  him. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Chas.  E.  Deering. 

It  will  be  observed  that  a  general  letter  of  recommendation  omits 
the  customary  complimentary  closing,  Yours  very  truly,  etc. 

Other  forms  for  beginning  such  letters  are : 

This  is  to  certify  that  Mr.  Blank  was  in  our  emplo}^  etc. 

This  is  to  testify  to  the  ability,  etc. 
/168,  Write  a  letter  recommending  J.  A.  Monroe  as  a  bookkeeper; 
mention  that  he  has  been  in  your  employ  for  two  years ;  that  his  work  has 
been  entirely  satisfactory;  that  he  is  punctual,  accurate,  reliable,  and 
perfectly  honest,  that  he  is  rapid  in  his  work,  and  has  tact  in  familiarizing 
himself  with  his  employer's  business  so  that  he  is  capable  of  managing  as 
well.     He  is  out  of  a  position  owing  to  the  dissolution  of  your  firm. 

1 69.  The  elements  of  a  sentence  may  be  transformed  by  substituting 
one  part  of  speech,  or  modifier,  for  another.  In  choosing  elements,  single 
words  are  preferable  to  phrases  or  clauses;  and  phrases  are  usually  pref- 
erable to  clauses.  Care  should  be  taken,  however,  that  the  element  chosen 
expresses  the  exact  meaning  intended. 

Exercise  58 

170,  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  substituting  a  word  for  the 

enclosed  portion  of  each: 

1.  He  turned  out  to  be  a  man  {in  whom  no  one  could  put  any  trust). 

2.  He  came  up  with  the  three  {men  who  attended  to  the  garden). 

3.  The  morning  rose  in  splendor  {that  was  undimmed  by  clouds). 

4.  He  is  a  man  {of  sense). 

5.  He  labored  {with  cheerfulness).  ^  ry^,^W 

6.  The  {person  who  applies)  must  be  competent.    / 

7.  He  is  apt  {to  make  a  gross  mistake)  if  he  does  not  study  the  position  {with 
m  great  deal  of  care). 

8.  She  spoke  to  the  {man  who  keeps  the  accounts). 

9.  He  was  {incapable  of  paying  his  debts).  ' 

10.  They  {ascertained  by  mathematical  process)  the  cost  of  {putting  up  )  the  building- 

11.  He  decided  to  {mark  out)  the  matter  {in  print  that  was  not  necessary). 

12.  Men  {of  wisdom)  interpret  the  laws  {of  nature).  <         j    -.    / 

13.  The  attack  was  {one  that  could  not  be  resisted).      lA^"^^  ■*'-^^"'H 

14.  He  is  the  {one  who  began  the  hostilities). 

15.  The  cherry  tree  will  {put  forth  blossoms)  in  the  Spring. 


9o  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

16.  Too  soon  the  flowers  (of  Spring)  will  fade. 

17.  He  spoke  {with  decision). 

18.  They  rest  (in  peace). 

19.  Three  fishers  went  sailing  (toward  the  West). 

20.  (As  he  rushed  forward)  he  shouted  to  his  companions. 


LESSON  44— Circular  Letters 


171,  Circular  letters  in  general  are  not  different  from  other  business 
letters,  but  are  so  written  that  they  may  be  sent  to  different  persons. 
These  letters  are  usually  printed  on  the  multigraph,  and  such  care  should 
be  taken  in  filling  in  the  heading,  etc.,  that  they  appear  in  every  way  as 
a  personal  typewritten  letter.  To  be  most  effective  they  should  be  person- 
ally signed.  The  body  of  a  circular  letter  might  hold  the  close  attention 
of  the  reader,  but  when  he  reaches  the  end  and  finds  the  name  of  the  writer 
printed  or  stamped,  the  otherwise  strong  effect  of  the  letter  is  usually    lost. 

Circular  letters  should  be  prepared  with  much  care,  not  only  in 
appearance,  but  in  composition.  Business  men  often  make  the  mistake  of 
spending  thousands  of  dollars  in  sending  out  circular  letters  that  are  so 
poorly  worded  that  they  do  not  produce  results.  In  writing  circular 
letters,  as  in  many  other  kinds  of  business  letters,  they  should  be  given 
a  personal  ring  if  possible. 

172,  Where  a  series  of  circular  letters  are  sent  out,  it  is  called  a  "fol- 
low-up system."  Usually  four  to  eight  letters  are  used  consecutively 
with  cards,  booklets,  etc.,  until  such  time  as  the  correspondent  considers 
it  unprofitable  to  continue.  The  number  of  letters  to  be  used  and  the 
length  of  time  between,  must  depend  upon  the  nature  of  the  business. 
The  style  of  the  follow-up  letters  must  be  adapted  to  the  person  who  is 
to  receive  them.  Business  men,  for  instance,  are  accustomed  to  quick 
decisions  and,  therefore,  require  different  treatment  from  that  which  a 
school  boy  or  girl  would  require.  These  letters  should  be  strong  in  personal 
tone,  as  should  nearly  all  business  letters.  The  cordial,  inspiring,  warming 
tone  in  letter-writing  is  what  makes  people  do  things. 

173,  The  following  letters  used  by  a  grocer  with  good  success  illustrate 
the  manner  of  writing  follow-up  letters  in  a  way  that  will  attract  attention 
and  therefore  get  results : 

Mrs.  James  Dashwood,  ,  Augut  21,  191 2. 

800  Henry  St.,  Slidingville,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Madam: 

I  take  the  liberty  of  calling  your  attention  to  my  first-class  grocery 
store,  and  of  requesting  the  favor  of  your  trade.  You  will  be  well  satisfied 
with  my  service  for  the  following  reasons: 


Ejfeciive  English  and  Letter  Writing  91 

You  know  what  a  satisfaction  it  is  to  trade  with  a  merchant  who 
studies  your  individual  needs  and  tries  to  please  you.  This  is  just  what 
I  do  with  every  one  of  my  customers.  I  please  them  because  I  try  to 
please  them.  I  make  it  my  business  to  study  their  wishes  and  learn  what 
they  like.  I  keep  a  complete  and  excellent  line  of  groceries,  and  if  you 
express  a  preference  for  any  special  article,  I  will  be  stire  to  have  what  you 
want  and  the  best  of  its  kind. 

I  know  that  I  can  please  you  with  my  service  and  only  ask  that 
you  give  me  a  trial. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  John  Pippin. 
August  31,  1912. 
Mrs.  James  Dashwood, 

800  Henry  St.,  Shdingville,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Madam: 

I  write  to  thank  you  for  the  orders  that  you  have  recently  given  me 
and  also  to  make  a  suggestion  which  I  feel  certain  will  be  agreeable  to  you. 
"We  are  now  in  the  height  of  the  fruit  and  green  groceries  season  and  I 
know  you  wotdd  find  it  a  great  convenience  if  I  were  to  write  from  time  to 
time  telling  of  the  very  best  articles  in  these  lines  that  I  have  or  expect 
to  have.  This  will  save  you  much  trouble.  It  will  keep  you  constantly 
informed,  without  effort  on  yovir  part,  of  the  best  that  the  market  affords. 

Among  the  specially  good  things  that  I  have  on  hand  at  present  are 
some  little  gem  peas  of  exceptional  quality  which  I  am  sure  you  wotdd 
like.  In  the  fruit  line,  raspberries  and  blackberries  are  now  at  their  best, 
and  I  have  the  best. 

I  have  also  placed  a  special  order  for  early  Georgia  peaches;  the  first 
choice  pickings,  which  I  expect  to  receive  in  a  few  days,  and  I  shall  be  glad 
to  let  you  know  when  they  come. 

Other  good  things  will  follow,  and  I  will  take  care  to  let  you  know  all 
about  them. 

Very  respectftdly, 

(Signed)  John  Pippin. 

174,  "We  now  give  a  series  of  seven  follow-up  letters  for  a  typewriter 
company : 
Gentlemen : 

Our  salesman  reports  a  call  on  you  in  the  interest  of  the  Superior 
Typewriter  and  asks  us  to  write  you  further  concerning  it.  Inasmuch, 
however,  as  otir  machine  will  speak  far  more  eloquently  in  its  own  behalf 
than  is  possible  for  us  to  speak  for  it,  we  earnestly  solicit  the  privilege  of 
demonstrating  its  many  excellent  and  superior  advantages  to  you . 


92  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

The  Superior  marks  an  era  in  typewriting  progress,  and  is  modern 
to  the  minute  in  every  detail  of  principle  and  construction.  It  is  a  type- 
writer, with  all  of  the  writing  always  in  sight,  and  has  long  since  passed 
through  the  experimental  stage. 

Remember  that  we  guarantee  to  demonstrate  that  more  and  better 
work  can  be  done  on  the  Superior  with  less  expense  to  you  and  less  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  operator,  than  can  be  done  on  any  other  writing  machine 
built.  This"  statement  is  worthy  of  your  investigation.  Please  let  us 
demonstrate  its  truth;  it  will  cost  you  nothing,  nor  will  it  obligate  you 
in  any  way  to  us. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Superior  Typewriter  Company. 
Gentlemen : 

We  believe  it  is  the  policy  of  your  office  to  be  up  to  date.  The  Super- 
ior is  up  to  the  minute,  both  in  principle  and  mechanical  construction. 
Its  use  is  a  common-sense  proposition  that  will  promote  your  interests  by 
increasing  the  facilities  of  your  correspondence  department  from  twenty  to 
fifty  per  cent. 

This  is  not  idle  talk,  for  we  can  demonstrate  all  we  claim — ^highest 
character  and  most  satisfactory  results,  both  in  quantity  and  quality  of 
work,  that  is  possible  on  any  writing  machine  built.  These  facts  are  proved 
by  the  complimentary  though  vain  efforts  of  the  numerous  manufacturers 
to  imitate  the  Superior — ^the  machine  that  has  revolutionized  the  typewriter 
world. 

A  card  or  telephone  call  will  bring  our  representative,  who  will  give 
you  further  information. 

Yours  very  truly. 
Gentlemen : 

There  are  three  primary  elements  of  power  necessary  to  success — 
imagination,  ambition,  and  integrity.  Imagination  pictures  an  ideal, 
leads  to  investigation,  thence  to  information  and  improvements.  Am- 
bition is  the  parent  of  energy,  which,  together  with  information,  begets 
confidence  and  trust  and  these  inspire  sympathy;  thus  integrity  properly 
directs  improvement  and  the  motive  powers  of  enthusiasm. 

The  Superior  Typewriter  is  a  product  of  these  forces;  it  is  a  positive 
means  by  which  the  best  possible  end  may  be  obtained.  If  you  are  am- 
bitious to  improve  your  office  equipment,  and  are  willing  to  investigate 
the  Superior,  we  can  demonstrate  its  principle  and  construction  to  be  the 
acme  of  perfection,  today. 

Yours  very  truly, 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  93 

Gentlemen: 

This  is  a  period  of  industrial  growth  and  intellectual  development ; 
an  age  of  progress  and  improvement;  a  remarkable  era  of  achievement  and 
advancement,  wherein  methods  and  inventions  that  were  surprising  in 
their  perfection  yesterday,  so  to  speak,  are  today  rendered  crude  and 
commonplace. 

The  Superior  Typewriter  demonstrates  that  its  development  has  kept 
pace  with  the  times,  and  is  not  only  up-to-date,  but  it  is  up  to  the  very 
minute  in  all  the  essential  requirements  necessary  to  enable  you  to  get  the 
best  results  from  both  your  correspondence  and  billing  departments.  It 
embraces,  in  the  highest  degree  of  perfection,  strength,  symmetry,  and 
simplicity,  and  is  the  axis  upon  which  the  typewriter  world  has  swung 
around  to  a  common-sense  basis. 

Character  is  stronger  than  reputation.  The  former  represents  a  con- 
dition; the  latter  implies  a  doubt.  The  Superior  has  character,  merit 
value.  You  want  a  typewriter,  not  a  name  plate;  you  want  a  machine 
of  today,  not  yesterday.  In  short,  you  want  a  machine  that  will  give 
you  both  quantity  and  quality  of  work.     Try  a  Superior. 

Yoturs  very  truly, 
Gentlemen : 

In  the  employment  of  your  office  help  you  doubtless  recognize  merit, 
and  in  the  selection  of  a  clerk  you  are  willing  to  pay  according  to  services 
rendered.  From  a  cheap  clerk  you  will  naturally  expect,  and  receive, 
cheap  services;  a  typewriter  is  "office  help"  and  the  same  rtde  should  apply 
in  its  purchase. 

There  are  cheaper  machines  on  the  market  than  the  Superior,  but  there 
are  none  from  which  you  can  get  the  same  amount  of  high-class  work  in  the 
same  length  of  time. 

We  know  that  you  will  be  satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  the  best  and 
are  prepared  to  demonstrate  to  your  satisfaction  that  more  and  better 
work  can  be  done  on  the  Superior  Typewriter  in  less  time,  with  less  effort 
on  the  part  of  the  operator,  and  with  less  expense  to  you,  than  can  be  done 
on  any  other  writing  machine  built. 

Yours  very  truly, 
Gentlemen : 

The  new  models  3  and  4  of  the  Superior  Typewriter  are  not  new 
machines.  They  are  new  models  of  an  old  machine.  We  wish  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  essential  character  of  this  difference. 

A  new  machine  usually  represents  nothing  but  inexperience,  but  the 
new  models  of  the  Superior  are  the  sum  and  the  fruit  of  the  most  complete 
experience  which  the  typewriter  world  affords. 


94  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

The  development  of  the  Superior  is  the  history  of  the  writing  ma- 
chine. The  experience  represented  in  the  Superior  embraces  the  whole 
history  of  the  typewriter.  It  has  been  at  all  times  sure  of  its  ground 
and  sure  of  itself. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  place  one  of  our  machines  in  your  ofhce  for  your 
personal  examination,  assuring  you  that  it  will  cost  you  nothing  in  the 
event  of  your  not  desiring  to  purchase  it.  "We  trust  we  may  be  able  to 
serve  you  further  in  the  matter. 

Yours  very  truly, 
Gentlemen: 

Our  salesman  tells  us  that  while  you  recognize  the  advantage  of  owning 
and  using  a  Superior  Typewriter,  you  feel  that  you  cannot  afford  to  employ 
someone  "especially  to  run  the  machine." 

It  will  not  be  necessary  for  you  to  do  so.  Our  Emplo^'-ment  Depart- 
ment, which  furnishes  competent  help  to  typewriter  users,  has  lately  been 
making  a  specialty  of  what  we  call  "combination  clerks,"  in  other  words, 
capable  young  men  or  women  who  are  good  machine  operators  and  who 
also  understand  general  business  methods  and  are  willing  to  do  clerical 
work  of  any  kind.  Such  a  clerk  can  do  all  of  your  typewriting  and  when  not 
so  employed,  can  work  as  cashier,  entry  clerk,  bookkeeper,  sales  clerk, 
or  anything  else  you  wish. 

The  combination  clerk  is  everywhere  solving  the  problem  of  furnish- 
ing competent  operators  for  those  who  wish  to  use  the  typewriter  but 
feel  that  they  cannot  afford  to  employ  anyone  simply  to  rtm  the  machine. 
The  combination  clerks  will  almost  earn  their  wages  in  other  ways  and 
thus  the  actual  cost  of  an  operator  of  the  machine  becomes  very  small. 

May  we  not  be  permitted  to  help  you  in  this  matter?  We  make  no 
charge  for  this  service. 

Yours  very  truly, 

^.^-^  Exercise  59 

176.  You  are  principal  of  the  National  Business  College  and  should 
therefore  have  a  series  of  six  follow-up  letters.  The  first  should  be  suitable 
for  an  answer  to  an  inquiry  for  catalogue,  terms,  courses  of  study,  etc. 
Then  you  vshould  have  three  good  strong  letters  that  are  suitable  to  send 
to  either  a  young  man  or  a  young  woman;  then  two  that  would  particularly 
apply  to  the  young  man  and  two  that  would  apply  especially  to  the  young 
lady. 

In  writing  these  letters  keep  in  mind  the  following  important  ideas: 
That  a  business  education  is  a  necessary  accomplishment  for  anyone;  that 
the  young  person  will  be  able  to  better  his  condition  in  life  by  the  securing  of 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  95 

more  desirable  employment;  that  he  should  get  a  business  education  just 
as  soon  as  possible;  and  that  yotir  school  is  the  best  place  for  him  to  obtain 
that  education. 

LESSON  45 — Miscellaneons  Exercises  for  Letter  Writing 

>'—>».  Exercise  60 

1 76.  You  are  in  the  Hardware  Business:  Mr.  T.  C.  May  has  applied  ta 
you  for  a  position  as  traveling  salesman,  and  has  referred  you  to  the  Pa- 
cific Hardware  &  Steel  Co.,  of  San  Francisco  for  information  as  to  character 
and  ability. 

You  are  very  favorably  impressed  with  Mr.  May,  but  think  it  best  to 
investigate  his  record.  Therefore,  before  giving  him  employment  you 
write  to  the  Pacific  Hardware  &  Steel  Co.,  to  see  what  they  have  to  say. 

You  may  also  write  the  reply  of  the  Pacific  Hardware  &  Steel  Co.j_ 
stating  that  they  personally  regard  Mr.  May  very  highly.  However,  they 
do  not  believe  that  he  has  the  necessary  qualifications  for  a  successful 
salesman.  While  having  a  pleasing  manner,  he  is  not  aggressive  enough 
to  successfidly  cope  with  keen  competition.  He  also  lacks  the  personal 
charm  that  makes  people  popular  and  influential.  He  is  conscientious  and 
painstaking  in  all  his  work,  but  can  not  produce  the  necessary  results. 
For  these  reasons  they  were  obliged  to  let  him  go.  They  regret  that  they 
cannot  consistently  advise  his  engagement  as  a  traveling  salesman. 
They  speak  very  highly  of  Mr.  May's  ability  as  an  office  assistant,  as  his 
habits  and  integrity  are  unquestioned. 

Exercise  61 

177.  Write  a  letter  to  S.  N.  Wood  &  Co'.,  812  Market  St.,  San  Francisco, 
applying  for  a  position  as  stenographer  in  their  office,  saying  that  you  have 
heard  there  wotdd  be  a  vacancy  soon. 

Exercise  62 

178,  Make  application  by  letter,  for  a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for 
the  Hartford  Sterling  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Give  reference,  state  ex- 
perience, what  territory  you  are  familiar  with,  etc. 

Exercise  63 

179,  "Write  a  letter  recommending  Miss  Sylvia  Shone,  who  has  super- 
intended the  cloak  and  suit  department  of  your  store  for  several  years, 
and  who  has  been  found  very  faithful  and  efficient.  Mention  your  regret 
at  Miss  Shone' s  decision  to  leave  and  state  her  reasons  for  doing  so. 


96  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

Exercise  64 

180.  Mr.  J.  W.  Nixon,  2 16- 13th  Street,  San  Jose,  Cal.,  a  customer  of 
yotirs,  is  usually  delinquent,  several  amounts  being  considerably  over 
due.  He  buys  freely,  but  is  slow  in  remitting.  He  has  received  several 
statements  of  your  account  with  requests  to  remit,  but  has  paid  no  at- 
tention to  them.  Write  him  a  letter  pressing  him  for  payment  as  closely 
as  you  think  advisable.  Remember  he  is  a  good  customer  and  you  must 
word  your  letter  in  such  a  way  that  he  will  feel  like  paying  the  money  but 
will  not  be  offended. 

Exercise  65 

181.  Mr.  H.  E.  Cook  of  425  McAllister  St.,  San  Francisco.  Cal.,  sent 
an  order  to  the  National  Mail  Order  Co.,  of  Chicago,  111.,  for  an  Acme  Phon- 
ograph, No.  2,  (catalogue  No.  108.)  He  enclosed  $45,  the  price  given. 
It  has  now  been  four  weeks,  with  no  response  to  the  letter.  Assume  that 
you  are  Mr.  Cook  and  write  a  letter  to  this  firm  to  see  why  you  have  not 
heard  from  them. 

Now  assume  that  you  are  correspondent  for  the  National  Mail  Order 
Co.  and  write  to  Mr.  Cook  stating  that  as  the  writer  neglected  to  sign  the 
letter,  and  as  it  was  written  on  plain  paper,  and  enclosed  in  a  plain  en- 
velope, they  had  no  means  of  determining  from  whom  the  order  was  re- 
ceived. They  were  investigating  the  matter  when  the  second  letter  came, 
which  solved  the  difficulty.  They  suggest  that  correspondents  should 
always  have  name  and  address  in  letters,  and  that  money  should  not  be 
sent  loose  in  envelopes.     They  add  that  the  phonograph  was  shipped  by 

Wells  Fargo  Express. 

Exercise  66 

182.  Write  a  letter  to  Cunningham,  Curtiss  &  Welch,  565  Market 
Street,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  ordering  100  Model  Arithmetics,  150  sets 
Corporation  Bookkeeping,  75  Practical  Word  Books,  100  Penmanship 
Manuals,  50  Dictation  Tablets,  and  25  sets  Practical  Course  in  Banking. 

Tell  them  to  ship  by  Wells  Fargo  Express  as  soon  as  possible. 

Exercise  67 

183.  You  are  secretary  of  the  Business  Men's  Club  of  your  city,  and 
owing  to  the  fact  that  you  are  out  of  town  a  great  deal,  you  find  it  impossible 
to  attend  the  meetings  regtdarly.  Therefore,  you  feel  that  some  one  else 
should  be  appointed.  Write  a  letter  to  the  president,  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Collins, 
tendering  your  resignation,  giving  your  reasons  for  doing  so,  and  expressing 
the  hope  that  the  vacancy  may  be  filled  by  some  one  who  can  personally 
attend  the  meetings. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  97 

Exereise  68 

184.  Assume  that  an  uncle  of  yours  is  paying  your  way  through  school, 
and  that  he  Hves  in  Chicago,  111.  You  recently  received  a  letter  from  him 
asking  you  to  give  him  as  much  information  as  possible  about  the  covirse 
you  are  taking,  i.  e.,  the  subjects  you  are  studying,  the  amount  of  time  you 
are  devoting  to  each,  etc.  He  also  wants  to  know  what  your  regular 
school  hours  are,  what  studies  you  are  making  the  best  progress  in,  and 
when  you  expect  to  finish  your  course.     Write  him  the  facts  in  the  case. 

Exercise  69 

185.  Mr.  L.C.Belmont,  Butte,  Montana,  has  written  to  you  in  regard 
to  typewriters.  He  wishes  to  buy  one,  and  knowing  that  you  have  had 
some  experience  with  the  different  makes,  wishes  you  to  write  to  him  giving 
your  opinion  of  them.  Describe  the  different  machines  and  recommend 
some  machine,  giving  your  reasons  why  you  consider  it  the  best. 

Exercise  70 

186.  Sturtevant  &  McCully  are  in  the  hardware  business  (give  address) . 
On  the  first  of  June  several  important  changes  will  take  place.  Mr.  Duane 
Sturtevant  will  then  retire,  and  Mr.  D.  E.  Kitchen  will  be  admitted  as  a 
partner.  The  name  of  the  firm  will  then  be  McCully  &  Kitchen.  Write  a 
circular  letter  making  this  announcement,  requesting  a  continuance  of 
the  favor  and  support  of  the  house  customers,  and  assuring  them  that  there 
will  be  no  relaxation  in  the  effort  to  maintain  the  extensive  business  of 
the  firm  and  to  please  the  customers. 

Exercise  71 

187.  You  are  in  the  wholesale  business,  and  one  of  your  traveling 
men  is  not  sending  in  as  large  and  frequent  orders  as  you  have  a  right  to 
expect,  considering  the  season,  the  amount  you  are  paying  him,  and  the 
territory  assigned  him.  His  sales  are  falling  belovf  all  previous  records. 
Times  are  good  and  you  therefore  expect  an  increase  rather  than  a  decrease. 
Write  a  letter  stating  the  foregoing  facts,  but  remember  you  should  not 
say  anything  that  will  offend,  as  the  salesman  may  not  be  to  blame  in 
the  matter. 

Assuming  that  you  are  the  salesman,  write  a  reply  to  the  foregoing 
letter.  Give  as  yovir  reasons  for  doing  such  poor  business  the  following: 
I.  Increase  in  price  of  goods  you  are  handling.  2.  Another  firm  is  selling 
same  quality  of  goods  much  lower.  3.  The  style  and  pattern  of  your 
articles  are  going  out  of  date.     Add  anything  else  you  think  appropriate. 

Exercise  73 

188.  You  owe  Olds  &  King  of  Portland,  Oregon,  $497.50,  which 
amount  will  be  due  in  ten  days.     Write  a  letter  to  them  enclosing  your 


g8  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

certified  check  for  $250  and  your  note  payable  in  60  days  with  interest 
at  6%  for  the  remainder  of  the  amount  due  them.  Tell  them  that  you 
are  sorry  you  are  unable  to  send  them  the  full  amount,  and  give  a  reason 
for  not  being  able  to  do  so.  Say  that  you  appreciate  the  favors  they  have 
already  shown  you,  and  that  you  will  be  prepared  to  pay  the  note  at 
maturity. 

LESSON  4:6— Supplementary  Exercises 

Exercise  73 
189",  Rewrite    the    following    sentences,    properly  punctuating  and 
capit^zing,  and  give  the  rule  for  each  mark  and  capital  letter: 
/I.  the  newspaper  is  in  fact  the  peoples  book 
/     2.  physical  exercise  especially  in  the  open  air,is  of  greatest  importance 


r 


3.  if  money  had  been  needed  before,  it  was  still  more  needed  now  a>«.c^'- 

4.  NoWfjf  you  care  to  make  us  a  fair  reduction  we  will  keep  the  goods  , 
,^  oride  Dovertv  and  fashion  cannot  live  in  the  same  house      -c^w'^  tn  --i^*' 


«-5fc,pride^  poverty 

6.  words  which  are  the  signs  of  ideas  are  spoken  and  written 
VJ.  he  who  sets  a  great  exapple  is  great 

8.  youth  looks  forward)"  age  backward 

9.  mr  chairman  the  subject  shall  receive  immediate  attention 

10.  the  allegation  is  not  true  nor  is  the  evidence  sufficient  to  sustain  it 

1 1.  henry  clay  said  i  would  rather  be  right  than  be  president 

12.  of  all  the  cases  considered  his  was  the  worst 

13.  we  have  three  bulwarks  viz  schools  colleges  and  universities 

14.  some  men  distinguish  the  history  of  the  world  into  four  ages  viz  the  golden 
age  the  silver  age  the  brazen  age  and  the  iron  age 

15.  the  congressional  library  the  finest  in  america  is  located  at  Washington 

16.  all  the  railroads  were  blocked  which  caused  great  inconvenience  to  hundreds 
of  people 

17.  we  visited  london  paris  florence  rome  and  several  other  interesting  european 
cities 

18.  if  we  cannot  secure  the  franchise  we  will  begin  operations  at  OT^f^ 

19.  the  strike  having  been  adjusted  the  miners  returned  to  their  work 

20.  the  words  all  men  are  created  equal  are  found  in  the  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. 

21.  low  ideals  slipshod  work  aimless  systemless   half   hearted  endeavors  should 
have  no  place  in  your  program 

J2.  Webster  the  orator  and  statesman  was  a  native  of  new  hampshire 

23.  tell  me  my  friend  all  the  circumstances 

24.  the  matters  having  been  arranged  the  company  separated 

25.  there  are  pictures  telling  stories  of  mercy  hope  courage  faith  and  charity 

26.  to  the  wise  and  prudent  misfortune  seldom  comes 

27.  we  should  all  therefore  be  able  to  punctuate  correctly 

28.  if  you  desire  success  you  must  win  it. 

29.  the  man  that  had  the  line  in  his  hand  went  eastward 

30.  i  gave  him  a  flower  which  he  rudely  crushed 


\ 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  99- 

^^  Exercise  74 

190.  Give  the  rule  for  the  use  of  commas  in  each  of  the  following  sen- 
tences : 

1.  Looking  out  of  the  window,  we  saw  them  coming.        t-r  ^ 

2.  Our  minds  should  be  free  from  bitterness,  jealousy,  hatred,  envy,  and  un- 
charitable thoughts.  i;v     ^         . 

3.  Ifseems  certain,  however,  acafording  to  reliable  reports,  that  a  vast  amount 
of  property  represents  the  loss  sustained.  rv».A^'^* 

4.  On  the  other  hand,  our  influence  upon  the  cr&^r  class  of  immigrants  has 
been  exceedingly  marked. 

5.  "I  hate  the  name  of  it,"  said  my  father,    x^-^ '-^.^^'^'^ht'^^^  ' 

6.  When  a  pronoun  is  added  merely  for  emphasis ^S3'aisttnction,  the  comma 

is  not  inserted.  -^  ~~  ,_    - 

7.  Properly  speaking,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  chance,     v-i^c/vt  •-  v'-v^^^^'XA-ct^ftA/if^ 

8.  Boast  not,  my  friend,  of  your  talents.  ,.  /-"A^^y^    -VxTlrX^^'^/''^^-^ 

9.  Still,  it  may  come  out  all  right  yet.  ;  ^     '  •,.(_(- 

10.  That  important  civic  body,  The  Mission  Improvement  Club,  has  voted  in 
favor  of  municipal  ownership.     v-i/i/Vv  i^/Vc-'X^i 

1 1.  What  it  is  our  duty  to  do,  we  must  do,  not  because  anyone  can  force  it  fronv 
us,  but  because  it  is  right. .„..»,.- '  ■'    ■ '  "■  

■        "-jj"-  ^^  Exercise  75 

/  191.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  selecting  the  correct  synonym^ 
Consult  the  dictionary: 

1.  President  McKjnley  was  {killed,  murdered,  assassinated). 

2.  They  have  friends  {stopping,^staying)  with  them  now. 

3.  He  has  neglected  his  personal  appearance  for  so  long  that  it  has  now  become^ 
a  {custom,  habit). 

4.  The  beautiful  furniture  was  badly  {disfiguredfdefaced). 
,^^__Haye  you  {sufficient'^  etwugh)  courage  to  carry  you  through  this  ordeal? 

6.  At  the  approach  or  winter  the  birds  {abandon,  forsake,  desert)  their  nests, 
and  fly  to  the  south. 

7.  I  will  {settle,  pay)  the  bill. 

8.  Our  thoughts  {form,  shape,  fashion,  mould,  stamp,  cast)  our  characters. 

9.  The  {apparel,  garments,  clothing,  raim.ent,  dress,  garb,  attire,  )  {  oft,  frequently, 
often,)  {proclaims,  indicates,  reveals,  discloses)  the  man. 

10.  Health  is  the  {vital,  necessary,  essential,  iynportant,  prime,  chief)  principle 
of  {bliss,  happiness,  joy,  enjoyment,  delight). 

11.  You  should  set  a  high  price  on  your  {leisure,  idle,    unemployed,    spare)    mo- 
ments for  they  are  sands  of  {precious,  rich,  priceless,  invaluable)  gold. 

12.  {Candor,  frankness,  openness,  sincerity)  is  the  seed  of  a  noble  mind. 

13.  We  should  not  be  so  ready  to  {censure,  rebuke,  reproach)  our  fellow  merr. 
for  their  {faults,  errors,  mistakes). 

14.  There  is  a  very  {opportune,  seasonable,  timely)  article  on  the  subject  in  the- 
magazine. 

15.  He  tried  hard  to  {recall,  recollect,  remember)  the  date. 

16.  He  wanted  to  {prolong,  lengthen,  extend)  his  visit  at  the  Capitol. 


lOO  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

17.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  {address,  accost,  greet,  salute)  the  Governor 
upon  his  arrival. 

18.  The  (effect,  result,  consequence)  of  the  examination  was  not  satisfactory. 

19.  It  does  not  {seem,  look,  appear)  to  be  very  hard. 

20.  The  present  police  force  does  not  seem  to  be  able  to    (restrain,  check,  re- 
press, hinder,  limit,  restrict)  the  unlawful  sale  of  liquor. 

Exercise  76 

192,  In  the  following  sentences  select  the  correct  synonym: 

1.  We  must  not  (change,  vary,  alter /m,odify)  the  contract. 

2.  He  received  his  last  month's  (pay,  wage^,  salary,  recompense) . 

3.  There  was  so  much  (opposition  J  resistance,  hostility)  to  the  bill,  in  Congress, 
that  it  was  finally  (refused,  declined,  rejected,  repealed).       ^ 

4.  The  view  of  the  mountain  is  (superb t  magnificent,  Isublime). 

5.  It  was  a  very  (amusing, -laughable,  ludicrous)  book. 

6.  I  have  very  important  news  to  (impart,  disclose,  communicate)  to  you. 

7.  The  lady  who  (  lives,  resides,  dwells)  next  to  us  is  an  artist  of  considerable 
(ability j  talent,  capacity). 

8.  The  more  (knowledge,  erudition,  learning,  information)  one  has,  the  better  he 
is  (fitted/  qualified)  for  life. 

9.  He  was    (aware,   conscious,   sensible)   of  a  very   (unpleasant,  disagreeable) 
(feeling,  sensation)  coming  over  him. 

10.  I  have  found  the  package  (alluded,  referred)  to  in  your  advertisement. 

11.  That  boy  is  (perpetually,  continually,  always,  constantly)  using  "shall"  for 
"will." 

12.  He  (rejected,  refused,  declined)  the  (proposal,  proposition)  made  by  his  friend. 

13.  Her  death  was  hourly  (anticipated,  expected). 

14.  The  father  had  (hoped,  expected)  that  his  son  would  do  well  at  school. 

15.  What  shall  you  (ask,  beg,  request)  of  me  that  I'll  deny? 

16.  Mercy  is  (timely,  seasonable,  opportune)  in  the  time  of  (affliction,  distress, 
trouble). 

17.  It  requires  hard  study  to  (acquire,  obtain)  a  foreign  language. 

18.  Careful  writers  (discriminate,  recognize,  detect)  the    (merits,   worth,    value) 
of  words. 

19.  We  (buy  at,  patronize)  Miller's  grocery  store. 

20.  I  was  (conscious,  aware)  of  a  partial  lapse  of  memory. 

Exercise  77 

193.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  selecting  the  correct  word: 

1.  I  (shall,  will)  pay  my  debts  if  determination  can  do  it. 

2.  We  (will,  shall)  all  have  a  great  deal  of  time  for  reading. 

3.  We  (will,  shall)  endeavor  to  do  all  we  can. 

4.  He  thinks  he  (shall,  will)  be  admitted  to  the  bar. 

5.  She  (shall,  will)  not  attend  the  wedding  on  account  of  ill  health. 

6.  They  (tvill,  shall)  not  elect  their  man  if  we  can  prevent  it. 

7.  You  (shall,  will)  enjoy  the  book  very  much. 

8.  I  (will,  shall)  be  pleased  to  see  you  again. 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  loi 

9.  I  (shall,  will)  never  consent  to  be  thus  imposed  upon. 

10.  We  (would,  should)  like  to  grant  your  request  if  we  could. 

11.  You  (should,  would)  enjoy  algebra  if  you  understood  it. 

12.  I  do  not  know  when  I  (will,  shall)  be  here  again. 
\3.  The  boat  (shall,  will)  upset  and  we  (will,  shall)  be  drowned 
"1.4.  He  (will,  shall)  not  die  if  I  can  prevent  it. 

15.  We  (will,)shair)  be  in  time  if  we  start  now. 

16.  When  (snail,  'will)  the  train  arrive? 

17.  I  (will,  shall)  never  catch  up,  I  am  so  far  behind. 

18.  I  (shall,''^jwill)  be  there  at  eight  o^clock. 

19.  You  di^  better  than  I  (should,! wout&)}\a.-ve.  done, 

20.  He  may  go,  for  I  (will- shall)  nblr  oppose  him. 

21.  She  could  do  the  work,  if  she  (should,  would)  try. 

22.  We  (shall,  will)  all  be  benefited  by  the  change. 

23.  I  (shall,  will)  keep  my  promise  though  the  heavens  fall. 

24.  She  (sfiould,  would)  not  be  inattentive  if  the  subject  interested  her. 

25.  (Shall,  will)  I  do  the  problems  on  the  next  page? 

Exercise  78 
194.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,   choosing  the  correct    word: 
Consult  the  dictionary. 

1.  Young  people  should  (hearken,  attend,  listen)  to  the  (council,  counsel)  ot  their 
elders. 

2.  I  (love,  like)  good  music. 

3.  Mother  will  not  let  us  go  (unless,  except,  without)  it  quits  raining. 

4.  You  (shall,  wiU)  offer  your  resignation  at  once. 

5.  If  she  (would  J  should)  win  the  prize,  we  (would,  should)  be  surprised. 

6.  She  believed  it  to  be  (/,  me)  but  I  knew  it  was  (hint,  he). 

7.  We  raised  (fewer,  less)  chickens  this  year  than  last. 

8.  I  must  have  (patients,  patience)  to  endure  the  load. 

9.  He  was  her  sole  (dependant,    dependence)  after  the  death  of  her  father. 

10.  Three  times  you  have  {defended,  guarded,  protected,  shielded)  me  from  (eminent,       '^^^ 
imminent}  danger. 

11.  Jennie  looks  (some,  something\somewhat)  like  her  mother. 

12.  I  will  raise  her  (statue]  stature,  statute)  in  gold. 

13.  The  doctors  (proscribed,  ^prescribed)]  quinine. 

14.  The  mountains  and  clouds  are  (high,  tall). 

15.  Potatoes  are  very  (plenty,  plentiful)  this  season. 

16.  The  ships'  (complement,  cotnpliinenti  was  thirteen  guns. 

17.  It  is  the  general  (opinion,  verdict'^  that  the  enterprise  is  a  failure. 

18.  We  have  greatly  (enjoyed,  appreciated)  your  visit. 

19.  The  misfortune  will  not  (effect,  affect)  our  business. 

20.  He  (asserts,  claims)  that  he  is  innocent. 

21.  I   (expect,  [suspect)  that  he  has  been  dishonest. 

22.  I  will  (foot,  pay)  the  bills. 

23.  He  (employs,  patronizes)  Dr.  Henry. 

24.  I  (predict,  prophesy)  that  he  will  succeed. 

25.  He  is  not  (a  success^\uccessful)  as  an  author. 


'/iP'^--<Vv\ 


loa  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

26.  He  was  (raised,  reared)  in  Virginia. 

27.  I  (remember,  recollect)  the  date. 

28.  He  (said,  stated)  that  he  would  be  there. 

29.  She  is  (staying,  stopping)  at  the  hotel. 

30.  I  am  (aware;  conscious)  of  your  good  intentions. 

Exercise  79 
/    195.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  correctly,  choosing  the  proper 
word: 

1.  The  criminal,  closely  questioned,  (disclosed,  discovered,  revealed,  divulged)  the 
hiding  place  of  his  (associate,  tonfeder  ate  J  accomplice). 

2.  The  president  of  the  class  (convokecA  convened)  a  special  meeting. 

3.  I  am  (bound,  determined,  certain)  to  go  to  the  show. 

4.  The  prisoner  (claims,  [asserts)  says,  m.aintains)  that  he  fired  in  self  defense. 

5.  Mr.  Brown  (calculates,  intends /expects)  to  get  fifty  cents  a  bushel  for  his  com. 

6.  His  mother  (only  spoke, i  spoke  only)  to  him  and  (/,  me). 

7.  Mr.  Benjamin  (chiefly  s;^oke},  spoke  chiefly)  of  judges  of  the  supreme  bench. 

8.  The  monev-vW-QS  divided  (between,  (among)  the  five  girls. 

9.  The  vfTiterk^onfouttd^confuses)  iktitude  with  longitude. 

10.  The  horse  v^^^o  Xfired,^fatigued)  that  it  could  not  travel  (further ,  farther) . 

11.  I  think  what  he  has  to  offer  is  a  (practical^  practicable)  plan. 

12.  She  is  (ratheri  quite)  pretty.  !/ 

13.  He  is  (hardl-y  scarcely)  able  to  walk.  h 

14.  He  (answereai  replied)  to  my  letter  last  week. 

""""^^  *"'■  /^  Exercise  80 

196,  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  proper  word: 

1.  I  will  go  (providing,  provided)  you  agree  to  (remain^stay) . 

2.  We  were  supplied  with  an  (abundance,  (plenty)  of  fruit. 

3.  The  speaker  (hastened,fhurried)  to  the  close  of  his  address. 

4.  The  defenders  showed  great  (courage,  bravery,  fortitude). 

5.  I  (acknowledge,  own,  confess)  that  I  was  wrong. 

6.  Why  do  you  (regard,  consider)  him  with  (distrust,  suspicion)"} 

7.  There  seems  to  be  no  (distinction,  difference)  between  the  two  cases. 

8.  There  is  great  (diversity^  variety)  of  opinion  regarding  the  matter. 

9.  It  is  not  my  (design,  purpose,  intention)  to  discuss  the  question. 

10.  The  association  (assembled,  convened)  at  8  o'clock.  i 

11.  He  looks  forward  to  the  (result,  outcome,  end)  with  a  feeling  of  (assurance,  | 
confidence).                                                                                                                                           ;| 

12.  The  result  of  the  (examination,  test)  showed  that  he  had  been  (idle,  lazy,  • 
indolent). 

13.  Can  you  (relyi  depend)  on  the  accuracy  of  his  statement.  ^ 

14.  A  good  casiuer  is  able  to  (detect,  see,  recognize,  discriminate)   (counterfeit,  | 
spurious)  money.    /                                                                         . 

15.  The  quality  of  their  literature  has  greatly  (deteriorated Ale ssened,  depreciated). 

16.  The  young  man  (demeaned,  disgraced,  humbled)  himself  by  associating  with 
a  I  renegade j 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  103 

Exercise  81 

197,  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  correct  word. 
Constilt  the  dictionary:  . 

1.  James  G.  Blaine  never  ceased  to  (advocate,  jsupport,  urge,  promote)  treaties 
of  reciprocity.  ' 

2.  He  is  a  man  of  {limited),  small)  ability. 

3.  I  am  not  going  to  {pack,  Ifarry)  this  bundle  any  farther. 

4.  Are  you  {posted^  informed)  on  the  Philippine  question? 

5.  My  salary  was  {raised,\  increased)  last  week, 

6.  The  committee  {recommends,  advises,  suggests,  requests)  the  adoption  of  this 
resolution. 

7.  The  servant  was  {dismissed j discharged)  for  not  obeying  orders. 

8.  His  word  was  highly  {creditable^ credible). 

9.  It  is  useless  to  urge  him  further,  as  his  answer  seems  to  be  {final,, definite). 

10.  His  conduct  was  {exceptional,  exceptionable). 

11.  {Can,  may)  I  borrow  your  knife,  please? 

12.  The  teacher  said  I  {could,  might)  borrow  a  pencil. 

13.  If  I  were  rich,  I  {might,  could)  do  much  to  relieve  the  poor. 

14.  I  asked  him  whether  I  {could,  might)  come  to  see  him. 

15.  I  know  I  {could,  might)  answer  all  questions. 

16.  No  one  {may,  can)  solve  the  problem  of  life. 

17.  Anyone   {might,  could)  be  honest  if  he  chose. 

18.  He  {could,  might)  accomplish  the  task  if  he  desired. 

19.  The  boy  asked  the  teacher  whether  he  {could,  might)  change  his  seat. 

20.  He  {can,  may)  do  as  he  likes,  for  I  will  not  interfere. 

21.  How  much  {farther,  further)  do  you  intend  to  go? 

22.  Our  {acts,  actions)  speak  more  plainly  than  words. 

23.  The  house  was  entirely  {empty,  vacant). 

24.  He  is  scarcely  {sensitive  to,  sensible  of)  the  coldl**  <^P'^^_^_,,^ 

25.  The  food  furnished  was  {healthful,  wholesome)  M^^^'-'''i^'r't4^'^^^ 

Exercise  8)8  ' 

1 98,  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  choosing  the  correct  word. 
Consult  the  dictionary: 

1.  A  successful  {social,\ociable)  was  held  in  the  church. 

2.  The  vegetation  is  {luxurious, \hixuriant). 

3.  {Continuous,  continual)  droppings  wear  the  stone. 

4.  The  students  will  please  sit  in  the  {first  two,  two  first)  rows. 

5.  I  did  not  find  the  climate  {healthy , [healthful) . 

6.  I  {had  rather,  would  rather)  go  todiay. 

7.  The  old  gentleman  is  {noted,  eminent,  celebrated)  for  his  {kindness,  benevolence, 
beneficence) . 

8.  There  is  a  striking  {resemblance,  similarity,  likeness)  between  those  sisters. 

9.  Did  you  {brings  fetch}  the  package  from  the  express  office? 

10.  There  was  mi/ch  ill  feeling  {among,  between)  the  four  brothers. 

11.  The  man's  {deception,  deceit)  was  a  hateful  trait  of  character.  1 

12.  {Emigration,  immigration)  has  reduced  the  population  of  Ireland.      .,,*<^.^rv*.<r 

13.  The  murder  of  the  German  minister  was  a  hideous  crime,  the  (enormity, 
enormousness)  of  which  is  unparalleled. 


I04  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

LESSON  47— Summary  of  Important  Facts  in  English 

199,  Nouns  that  end  in  the  5  are  generally  plural;  as,  boys,  cows. 

2.  Verbs  ending  in  5  are  singular;  as,  comes,  goes,  does. 

3.  The  verb  in  a  sentence  must  agree  with  its  subject  in  ntunber  and 
person;  if  the  subject  is  singular  the  verb  must  be  singular;  if  the  subject 
is  plural  the  verb  must  have  the  plural  form;  as,  One  is  enough.  Here  are 
the  two  books. 

4.  Remember  the  verb  agrees  with  its  subject  in  sense  rather  than  in 
form.  If  the  meaning  of  the  subject  is  singular  the  verb  must  be  sin- 
gular, even  though  the  subject  has  the  plural  form,  and  vice  versa;  as. 
Ten  inches  of  snow  has  fallen. 

5.  If  the  subject  is  a  collective  noun,  representing  its  members  as 
acting  in  unison,  the  verb  is  singular ;  as,  The  school  has  elected  its  leader. 

If  the  subject  is  a  collective  noun,  representing  its  members  as  acting 
independently  of  each  other,  the  verb  is  plural;  as,  The  school  have  eaten 
their  luncheon  in  the  hall. 

6.  If  the  subject  denotes  quantity,  though  plural  in  form,  the  verb 
is  singular;  as.  Ten  thousand  bushels  was  sold. 

If  the  subject  does  not  clearly  denote  quantity  use  the  plural  form  of 
the  verb;  as,  Five  days  were  spent  in  London. 

7.  Singular  subjects  connected  by  and  require  a  plural  verb;  as, 
The  cat  and  the  dog  like  (not  likes)  milk.     Here  come  Tom  and  she. 

8.  If  the  singular  subject  connected  by  and  refer  to  one  person  or  thing 
the  verb  must  be  singular;  as.  The  mother  and  saint  kiteels  in  prayer. 

9.  If  the  singular  subjects  connected  by  and  are  preceded  by  each, 
every,  or  no,  the  verb  must  be  singular;  as,  Every  tree  and  every  shrub  is 
dead. 

10.  When  subjects  are  connected  by  and  too,  and  also,  and  not,  if  not, 
but  not,  or  as  well  a5,  the  verb  agrees  with  the  subject  first  mentioned;  as. 
The  boys  as  well  as  their  sister,  were  invited.  The  boy,  and  his  sister  too, 
was  commended. 

11.  When  subjects  are  connected  by  or  or  nor  the  verb  must  agree 
with  the  last  subject  mentioned;  Either  the  captain  or  the  sailors  are  to 
blame      Neither  the  thieves  nor  their  accomplice  has  been,  captured. 

12.  If  the  subject  is  either,  neither,  one,  or  everybody,  the  verb  to 
agree  must  be  singular;  as.  Either  of  them  has  the  same  right.  Neither 
of  them  was  hurt.  One  of  the  boj'^s  is  here.  Everybody  is  preparing 
his  English  lesson. 

The  pronoun  you  always  requires  a  plural  verb.     You  are  true. 

13 .  If  the  subject  is  a  partitive  word  followed  by  of  with  a  singtdar  object 


l'( 


Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing  105 

the  verb  must  be  singtilar;  as,  A  variety  of  music  charms  the  ear.  If 
the  object  of  of  is  plural,  the  verb  must  be  plural;  as,  A  variety  of  flowers 
charm  the  eye.  Three-fourths  of  the  words  were  misspelled.  Two-thirds 
of  the  soil  is  fertile. 

The  following  are  the  most  common  partitive  words:  variety,  plenty 
abundance,  number,  B.n6.  words  denoting  the  parts  of  the  unit;  as  three-fourths, 
five-eighths,  etc.  The  word  number  preceded  by  the  always  requires  a  singtilar 
verb;  as.  The  number  of  failures  is  remarkably  small. 

14.  The  number  of  the  verb  after  a  relative  pronoun  depends  upon 
the  number  of  the  antecedent  of  the  pronoun;  as,  The  boy  who  was  hurt 
has  recovered.     The  men  who  were  htirt  have  gone. 

15.  The  only  change  in  nouns  to  express  case  relations  occurs  in  the 
possessive  case  relation.  The  apostrophe  shotild  always  follow  the  last 
letter  of  the  word;  as,  The  boy's  hat.  The  boys'  fathers.  The  men's 
jobs. 

Nouns  have  a  number  of  case  relations  that  pronouns  do  not  usually 
have,  notably  adverbial  objective,  retained  object,  and  factitive  complement, 
etc.  This  summary  deals  only  with  those  cases  in  which  errors  are 
likely  to  occur. 

16.  The  nominative  forms  of  the  pronouns  are:  /,  we,  he,  she,  they  and 
who.  These  forms  should  be  used  as  subjects  of  finite  verbs,  or  as  attribute 
complements  after  copulative  finite  verbs,  never  in  the  objective  relation; 
as,  He  is  George.     Mary  is  she.     I  am  he.     We  are  they  who  called. 

17.  The  objective  forms  of  the  pronouns  are;  me,  us,  him,  her,  them, 
and  whom.  The  forms  should  be  used  to  complete  the  relations  of  transi- 
tive verbs  or  their  participles,  and  prepositions;  never  as  subjects  or  at- 
tribute complements  of  finite  verbs.  He  and  she  sent  the  flowers  to 
mother  and  7ne.     Lucy  and  he  invited  Mary  and  me. 

18.  A  noun  or  pronoun  used  to  identify  another  noun  or  pronoun  is 
put  by  apposition  in  the  same  case  as  the  noun  so  identified.  It  was 
John,  he  who  was  promoted,  who  called.  Would  you  strike  me,  me,  who 
have  so  often  befriended  you? 

I  knew  it  was  he.     I  knew  it  to  be  him. 

//,  in  the  first  sentence,  is  in  the  nominative  case  and  its  attribute  is  in 
:he  nonainative  case;  in  the  second  sentence  both  it  and  him  are  in  the 
objective  case.  Intransitive  and  passive  verbs  have  same  case  after  them 
as  before  them  when  both  words  refer  to  same  person  or  thing. 

19.  Pronouns  must  agree  with  their  antecedents  in  person,  number, 
and  gender,  not  in  case.  Everyone  must  attend  to  his  own  business.  The 
man  who  can  teach  is  he  who  knows. 


xo6  Effective  English  and  Letter  Writing 

20.  To  compare  two  objects  use  the  comparative  form  of  the  adjective; 
as,  He  is  the  stronger.     She  is  older  than  I  but  I  can  write  the  better. 

2 1 .  To  denote  equaUty  between  two  objects  use  as .  .  as.  He  is  as  old  as  I. 
To  denote  inequality  use  so.  .  .  . as.     He  is  not  so  old  as  I. 

22.  Things  that  in  themselves  express  quality  in  the  highest  degree 
can  be  compared  only  by  use  of  an  adverb. 

This  ball  is  ryiore  nearly  round  than  that,  not  rounder. 

23.  Use  of  shall  and  will. 

Expectation  or  Probability  Determination 

I  shall  see  you  there.  I  will  be  there. 

You  will  see  me  there.  You  shall  go. 

He  will  see  me  there.  He  shall  report  to  you. 

Will  with  first  person  expresses  determination  or  a  positive  promise 
to  do  something;  with  the  second  and  third  person  merely  an  expectation 
or  probability. 

24.  The  past  form  of  an  irregular  verb  should  never  be  used  with  an 
auxiliary  verb.     Say,  I  did  it,  not  I  have  did  it. 

25.  The  past  participle  of  an  irregular  verb  should  never  be  used 
without  an  auxiliary  verb.     Say,  I  have  seen  it,  not  I  seen  it. 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


